I am struggling & could use help

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faithNlove212
faithNlove212 Posts: 203 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have logged onto MFP for 125 days now. I admit I havent logged in my meals or exercise everyday but I have logged on for motivation, support and to help others as well and keep in contact with everyone.

I started MFP at 232lbs I am currently 209lbs. But ive been stuck for a few months. Possibly lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Theres been times ive become unmotivated which I know is my own fault.

I wanted peoples opinions on what maybe im doing wrong. Feel free to friend me to look at my food diary. My goal is 1lb loss a week so my food diary says I need 1730 calories a day.

I am getting mixed information from people at the gym telling me I should only eat 3 meals a day and others saying I should eat 3 meals plus 3 snacks. I know that in order to loose you must eat, you cannot starve yourself.

By now I should of been down at least 40lbs. But its my own fault because I took time off from exercising for about 2 months. I got unmotivated, lazy and overall sluggish. I have started to get my groove back and have started slowly. When I finally get back into the groove I will have no issues with the exercising but food wise I need help.

Any feedback would be MUCH appreciated. PS... I have lately grown very fond of fresh fruit smoothies. Im hoping they help. Also is 1730 calories a day a bit too high? Because im finding it hard to eat all those calories!

Replies

  • gradmonkey
    gradmonkey Posts: 12 Member
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    It's better to eat small amounts of food throughout the day. I would say three small meals plus snacks is best. Also, 1700 calories seems kind of high. I know if you weigh more, you need more calories, but still. Be careful of the fruit smoothies. They tend to be high cal. I would lean towards more protein and less carbs.
  • Kiwijay
    Kiwijay Posts: 216
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    Hi There,

    It could be that you have lost motivation, if youa ren't going to the gym or working out as much a plateau will hit. As for the mixed info you get it's really hard because everyone always has different opinions. I TRY to only eat three meals a day but for me I feel that if I have eaten the right stuff and am full then I don't need to add extra food in. I hope this helps and add me if you want, we are all in this together and everyone is here to support. good luck and I hope you can kick it up a notch to get over the dreaded plateau! :flowerforyou:
  • beachgirl667
    beachgirl667 Posts: 55 Member
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    I am struggling as well. I will encourage as much as possible. This is a great place to start everyone is VERY supportive! I love it! Good luck to you:)
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
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    The first step is to log EVERYTHING you eat EVERY DAY so you have visual confirmation of what you're eating. Without doing that, you (and we) can't tell where the issues might be. Also log your exercise. This is truly one of the most important part of the weight loss process.
  • monkeyboy881
    monkeyboy881 Posts: 287
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    It's better to eat small amounts of food throughout the day. I would say three small meals plus snacks is best. Also, 1700 calories seems kind of high. I know if you weigh more, you need more calories, but still. Be careful of the fruit smoothies. They tend to be high cal. I would lean towards more protein and less carbs.
    this is totally true eat a lot of small meals i try for six but it is hard sometimes
  • suenewsom
    suenewsom Posts: 2
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    The very first thing you need to do is not be negative about your set back......negative energy manifests negative results. You need to say I am fit, lean, healthy and strong (or whatever you want to see yourselft as). If you say this three times a day and believe you will be it!!!!! You can do anything you believe you can just believe.
  • woja9640
    woja9640 Posts: 450 Member
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    How about trying some of the healthy recipes that are posted in the recipe section of the message board?

    I am sure that they might help. As for motivation, I would suggest looking at your old pictures from before you started working on your weight loss and think about how far you have come and where you want to be.

    Remember this is not just about losing weight but also about starting a healthy life style.

    With regards to eating, remember serving size and stick to it.

    Here are some healthy versions of fav foods.

    Nachos - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/201660-low-cal-nachos?page=1#posts-2664230

    Mini Pizzas - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/201647-mini-pizzas

    Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196303-spaghetti-and-ground-turkey-meatballs
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    you know yourself, you can't play at this weight loss game, you have to be consisent and persistent.

    If you are lazy and complacent, unmotivated with poor eating, you won't lose weight.

    Get back to where you were when you were losing. I think 3 meals with snacks is great, but just make sure you are under your daily allowance. And LOG it, you can't guess!!

    Exercise is beneficial for fitness and good health. But it only 20% of losing fat. 80% is your diet. Doing both will speed things up.

    You are in control. DO IT!

    good luck :flowerforyou:
  • Nomoregut
    Nomoregut Posts: 39
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    Hello you should eat every 3 to 4 hours which will give you 4 to 4 meals a day. Make sure you eat a good healthy breakfast so your body will not be playing catch up. Remember to drink plenty of water
  • tamanella
    tamanella Posts: 500 Member
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    I always, as a rule of thumb, eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. This keeps me from getting hungry in between. Feel free to friend me if you'd like!
  • JayneWilson1963
    JayneWilson1963 Posts: 543 Member
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    I can relate to you post. I was losing 2 pounds a week and then slacked off exercise and made poor food choices. I did however keep losing, but very slowly. I have found that if I exercise 30 mins for 5 times a week, drink lots of water, watch my sodium and eat less processed foods, it's easier to lose weight. Hang in there; it will come off, just be persistent. I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day and stay within my calories. I try to eat fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, whole grains and some dairy. Hope this helps
  • Sugaree2011
    Sugaree2011 Posts: 3
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    see Tobygirl45 recipe for a Vanilla Smoothie about 50 cal per serving and read through her posts. I wish you all the strength to lose your weight. I do believe 3-5 small meals a day include snacks fruits and veggies; and exercising is the key and plenty of H2O. Keep on chatting for support.
  • nelldia
    nelldia Posts: 3
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    it's only a temporary situation. Sometimes our bodies may get in a sort of "rut". Try and switch it up.. try a different approach to your diet and something different for your workout....... Its happens to all of us girl .... dont give up. Its awesome that you can count on people here for tips and advice... keep up the great work... you came so far already :)
  • ftoddw
    ftoddw Posts: 37 Member
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    I was right where you are now until I started logging everything on MFP. I was stuck at the same weight, eating ok, just some bad things now and again, working out a couple times a week. Stuck 70 pounds over weight. Then I made some changes to my eating and exercise and started logging everything - I mean everything 3 weeks ago, right down to the half glass of wine I finished for my wife. I log all my workouts - I log everything that goes in my mouth. I email my log to an accountability partner every coupe of days and I take advice. I've lost 29 pound in the last three weeks.

    Eating 1720 calories a day is no guarantee of loosing weight, especially if the 1720 is from french fries, burgers, and shakes, etc (not saying you eat those things, just saying...). If you spread 1720 calories over 6 small meals all consisting of lean proteins, high quality (whole wheat, veggie, etc) carbs and healthy fats, you'll lose weight. And for exercise - you're not going to loose weight without really burning some calories. I do something every day to get my heart up for at least 20 mins and three times a week I do something that makes me really uncomfortable. I think you need to do some cardio at least three times a week that leaves a puddle of sweat and soaks every bit of clothing you're wearing. Maybe its just me - but two spinning classes each week and one high intensity interval run each week seems to do the trick (swimming is great for me too).

    I think accountability teamed with healthy eating and really pushing yourself , really, really, really, really hard in your workouts at least three times week will blow through any plateau. It's working for me - I'm almost halfway there in my weightloss, and just beginning a lifestyle of fitness. If I can do it - you can do it.
  • kellycasey5
    kellycasey5 Posts: 486 Member
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    Congratulations on your progress so far! You are doing great! Time to dig in, pick yourself up by the bootstraps, and give it 1005 effort. Think of how nice it will be to exercise outdoors as the weather gets warmer. Think of how much easier that will be if you keep making good food choices for your body and exercise now. I have stopped this as the progress slowed or got lazy with calories, exercise, and excuses. And alas, every time I gained the weight back. I will always have to be mindful of what I eat, but this site makes it easy, and fun too! I also like fruity smoothies. I usually add small amounts of frozen fruit, a sweet and low packet (I know, we all have vices and I was raised with it so I love it), 1/2 cup milk, and water to get the consistency right. You would never know the water was in there, and it makes more smoothie for me! Good luck! Don't stop now!
  • BrownEyedBetty
    BrownEyedBetty Posts: 85 Member
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    From my own personal experience... yeah in the beginning I was eat under my caloric limit but I was eating all the wrong foods and wondering why I am not losing a lot of weight. For me it is important to stay under but it’s more important that I get nutritional value from my food. So if I go over a little its okay to me because as long as I ate healthy. Another big thing is portion control… I finally sucked it up and saw a nutritionist and she showed me the correct portion size…. And I swear it has changed the way I eat.
    And on exercising ... gurl I feel you... sometimes I just don't want to move out of my bed... I just try to remember why I am doing this in the first place and even though it sucks now in the long run it will be worth it.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    I have logged onto MFP for 125 days now. I admit I havent logged in my meals or exercise everyday
    this may be your downfall, you are obviously a smart woman and know the basics, so my advice is to log everything good or bad for at least 2 weeks as usually a 2 week span will show your true habits, every single person who has asked me to look over their diary I usually go back 2 weeks. We all have bad days, and we all need to count them as they show you a very clear image of habits. I would just try to keep in mind that you need protein at breakfast roughly 30% and to eat that within 30 mins of waking. The eating 6 small meals a day does not really matter, eating 3 or 6 meals a day does not matter as much as the overall caloric intake for the day. Yes eating smaller meals will usually slow you down and cause you not to binge at the end of the day. Its about finding what works for you and making it last. Small changes add up over time to big ones so start small and work your way towards a better lifestyle.

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