Where's the support??

musicgirl88 · April 2011

So, I keep hearing how everyone has found amazing support on this site, and when i first joined everyone seemed to be very supportive. Now that I've been here a while, it seems like people only post on the "fun" posts, or the controversial posts....In the past 3 weeks, i have made 4 different posts, and gotten no support at all. I have asked questions, I've had my down days, and today especially, I even posted something twice to test it. One comment. Of all the people on this site, one comment. Yet when I go to others' posts, I see TONS of support. So now I'm left wondering....is it me? I feel like I'm back in high school again wishing I was the person everyone paid attention to. I'm trying so hard to get away from the mindset of "why can't I be like that person?"

So now I'm going to ask the same question I asked my orignal post for today. OK, so I've been working my *kitten* off the past week and I am up 2 pounds. I'm so confused. I completely gave up this morning when I woke up and weighed in. It didn't go up, but it was still the same at 198. I don't understand how I could be working out harder than ever and eating healthier than ever and yet still not be losing any weight at all. When I got on the scale, I gave up. I had made artichoke subs Saturday night and made several because we were supposed to have a Euchre tournament. Well, our plans got messed up and we ended up with about 8 extra subs. So I did good and ate one a day, because they are really quite healthy....if you eat just one. But today, I just gave up and had one for breakfast, and then ate another for lunch. It was almost like my comfort food. It was there, there are still 3 left after eating the two I had, and I just went straight to them. I don't understand what is wrong with me. I feel like I need to do nothing but work out all day long. But I can't because I'm in school. I have to do homework, and sometimes it can take hours to do one project since I'm going to be graduating in May and I have 2 major projects that are due soon. I guess...i'm just asking for someone to maybe look at my diary and tell me what I'm doing wrong. Not all of my exercises are logged because there have been times I've forgotten to wear my HRM, and I don't want to log and think I've burned more calories than I really did, or less than I really did. I really need some help. I honestly don't know what I'm doing wrong.

crazymama2two · April 2011

throw the effin subs away

i didnt look at your diary because im GUESSING, i dont know, but one week of working your *kitten* off totally has your body retaining water so your muscles can have that...the subs may have a BUTTLOAD of sodium which means you are retaing even much more of that water.

i was told on many occassions that once you kick up your exercise routine give your body at least two weeks to adjust...you will see a gain on the scale but it's not necessarily a fat gain but rather a water retention gain.

im no expert clearly since im a fat *kitten* and all BUT that's the one thing i found to be true - the more exercise you do, the more water your body holds onto. it WILL release it but you have to keep steady with your exercise and give it a couple weeks...do NOT give up.

do i make ANY freakin' sense?

saeverman · April 2011

I completely understand how you feel. Have you mixed up your workout lately? I've been told our bodies get used to the workouts. I was stalled for a couple of months and was ready to give up! But I didn't. I changed my workout routine and am back to losing. It's not at the rate I want or expect, but I'll take it. You could also be building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. I would look at your food log, but don't know how. Wishing you the best of luck and sending lots of support!

Stephanie E

MyNameIsNotBob · April 2011

throw the effin subs away

This.

Also, looking at a few days of your diary, you should really eat more calories and protein, fresh fruits & veggies. Your body is holding onto fat because you're not eating enough... and probably retaining water because of the sodium & increased workouts. Try to get your calories up to at least 1200 net per day. And drink TONS of water.

I'm sorry if you feel you haven't found support. I'm just getting started on the forums, but I've noticed lots of people collecting "friends" for support outside of thread postings.

Good luck!

bdtaylor2009 · April 2011

I agree 1200 cal lots of water

DeenaSteelerGirl · April 2011

Lol.. I read and replied twice. I also posted a topic.. No replies : (

momtozmc · April 2011

Too much sodium is not good... get rid of the sodium, eat your calories, drink lots of water and change up your excercise routine...

L.

sweetsarahj · April 2011

Yeah, I think you need to eat more. I took a quick look at your diary and if that's all your eating its kinda bleak. More veggies, lean protein, complex carbs. Lots and lots of water. If you are retaining water, drinking more water will help that go away.

Remember this is a lifestyle change, and it will take awhile. Persistence, not perfection will win the game.

musicgirl88 · April 2011

Lol.. I read and replied twice. I also posted a topic.. No replies : (

I'm sorry you are also not getting replies....I don't understand it..when I go through the forums it seems like everyone has about 10-20 replies....so I'm thinking, OK I can get some answers....but when I ask questions....it's like where did everyone go?? LOL It's hard to stay motivated when you're on a site that is set up for support but no one is giving it!! Maybe I'm just having a super bad day (actually I know I'm having a bad day), but this isn't the first time i've asked questions and gotten zero replies. It's very discouraging.

Celo24 · April 2011

I'm going to echo what the others have said. You are not eating enough, so your body isn't getting enough fuel. Consequently, it's holding on to all the calories that it gets. Read the two links in my signature and start eating those exercise calories!!

As for the support, there are some people that have more time than others. 1:30 in the afternoon = most people are at work and not on MFP. If you aren't satisfied with the support you are currently getting, don't give up. Find people who are very active and become friends with them.

sarahs440 · April 2011

I agree with everything said here. you need to drop that sodium way down and up your calorie intake. It will make a HUGE difference. Get more fresh fruits and veggies. You can do this!! Good luck!

cardbucfan · April 2011

I agree with mynameisnotbob. You are NOT eating enough. I'm not gonna go all "starvation mode" on you but I way less than you, workout and burn a ton of calories and I eat way more than you do and am losing weight. Your body is retaining water in the muscles, you are (probably) retaining water from what you have been eating and what you have been eating isn't as nutritionally sound as what you need to fuel it and it's not enough calories. It's a really tough thing to wrap your brain around after years (decades in my case) of being told to eat less to all of a sudden going to you must eat a set amount of calories all day for your body to work. Do not give up. Throw the subs away (and I'm the biggest cheapa** you'll ever find and grew up with the clean plate club so that causes me physical pain to throw food away!). Make a menu plan for the next week and stick to it. Once you've made your menu plan, make your grocery list. Whole grains, lean protein, fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables. Drink water, water and more water. Log every little bite you eat after you measure it! On the one hand, this is the hardest thing I have ever done to lose weight. It is a giant pain to log all your food (especially at the beginning when your diary doesn't have all YOUR foods yet). But, it is also the easiest thing too. I"m not hungry (because I'm eating!), I'm not deprived because nothing is off limits-everything in moderation is my credo, I'm not a witch to be around because of all the other things. You can do this. Go read the success forum and check folks diary's for meal ideas. Mine is public (maybe not so great lately-I hit my goal and have been a little complacent!) and if you search for public diaries you will find plenty of people who have opened up their diaries too. Good luck! (and there is ton's of support on here-sometimes depending on time of day, some posts just get lost in the shuffle, sorry yours did!)

sdgirl22 · April 2011

i checked out your food diary for the last week. It looks like majority of what you're eating is processed high sodium foods. Also, you have your diary settings for 6 meals a day, but you're typically only eating 3.

The sodium, the other posters said, contributes to bloat, which will add water weight. You're already eating small meals, but I would try eating 5-6 small meals a day. That way your body is constantly fueled. That helped me tremendously when I was at a plateau.

Definitely definitely definitely eat more whole foods. For example, the carrots and ranch you had for a snack one day - try making hidden valley ranch seasoning with greek yogurt (more protein, less fast, plus other healthy stuff) and eating that with carrots. Instead of the broccoli and cheese steamers, steam fresh broccoli and season with herbs, or sprinkle with low fat cheese. Instead of condensed mushroom soup, try campbell's v8 squash soup (stil high in sodium because it's processed, but the creaminess if from squash puree instead of cream).

I hope this helps! Good luck and feel free to add me

melsinct · April 2011

I also think you aren't eating enough. You've received great advice on this thread so I won't state what has already been stated. You have already lost some weight so keep it going!!!

SweetLime67 · April 2011

Also, have you been measuring yourself? I can fluctuate a few pounds day to day but I know I am doing well because my waist and hips are consistently getting smaller.

musicgirl88 · April 2011

I am usually around 1200-1300 calories....are you guys saying I need to eat more calories than what I have been? MFP has set up my calorie limit a 1200...

MissTomGettingThin · April 2011

I am usually around 1200-1300 calories....are you guys saying I need to eat more calories than what I have been? MFP has set up my calorie limit a 1200...

It's not a limit.
It's a goal.
Exercise calories need eating back.

ALSO - when are you posting?
This place is heavy on Americans who sleep at a different time to me and sometimes there's no one about.
On the other side of the coin/Pond - it's full of British who sleep when the Americans or Asutralians are at work.

Sometimes We need to not take empty posts to heart.
They sometimes just get pushed down and people don't look for them.

Good luck, keep up the hard work and maybe look at calories or sodium.

toots99 · April 2011

I think, as far as getting replies, sometimes the same question is asked over and over, so people are less likely to reply to the same question. It's not you at all. People that have been around for a while sometimes get a bit tired of answering the same questions. There's a search function up above here, so maybe it'd help to utilize that, because your original post seems to be a common theme.

Hope that puts your mind at ease a bit. :flowerforyou:

Celo24 · April 2011

I am usually around 1200-1300 calories....are you guys saying I need to eat more calories than what I have been? MFP has set up my calorie limit a 1200...

That's your target goal for your NET calories. NET = calories eaten - calories burned. Read the two links in my signature if you are unclear about why it's so important to eat your exercise calories.

SweetLime67 · April 2011

I just sent you a super long message lol. Hope it helps!

tross0924 · April 2011

I agree eat more (1200 plus some of your exercise calories), maybe increase your protein to a higher percentage (you eat a lot of carbs compaired to you protein), less sodium, lots of water, and start lifting weights. Weigh your self today and not again for a month sticking to that plan. Take measurements today and once a week for a month from as many places as you'd like to see get smaller.

Also don't give up. You might have to tweak here and there, but this will work and you will lose weight as long as you stick with it. I gaurantee that the fat isn't as smart or determined as you are.

On a side note I also gaurantee that I'm a horrible speller, and without spell check there's very little chance gaurantee is spelled right. :-)

Good luck and just know that you can do this. :-D

MyNameIsNotBob · April 2011

I am usually around 1200-1300 calories....are you guys saying I need to eat more calories than what I have been? MFP has set up my calorie limit a 1200...

EATING 1200 calories is different from NETTING 1200 calories. You need to try to NET 1200 calories. That means, that if you burn 500 calories exercising, you should actually EAT 1700 calories to NET 1200. That's the beauty of exercise + calorie deficit... if you exercise you get to eat more!

veganjeanie · April 2011

You don't want your body to go into starvation mode, then it really holds on to that weight, so do make sure you eat your net calories, or close to it. That net calories thing is what keeps me exercising, the more I work out the more I get to eat. Sometimes you just have to have faith that the weight WILL come off in the long run, you just have to stick with it and not pay attention to the results of one or two weeks. I'm telling myself that too, because I've been so good but my weight went up 3 lb at last weigh-in. Just keep your eyes on the prize. If you give in and eat those subs it will definitely not help your progress. Give the subs away.

keepsiejess · April 2011

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

mikeyml · April 2011

If you're not seeing the results you want, then it's time to switch up the strategy. Here are some suggestions based on looking over the past month of your food diary:

1. Try eating your exercise calories. It looks like you have been using the "don't eat exercise calories" strategy which is fine for some people, but maybe you should try to eat them. I noticed that you have a lot of days where you have over 500 - 1000 calories left for the day. Try to keep the number closer to 100-200 calories left for the day.

2. Do not over estimate calories burned. I read that you're using a HRM which is a great tool. But I saw you had a day where you logged 420 minutes of walking at a 3.0 pace. That's 7 hours of walking! It's possible to do but most people don't get that kind of walking in unless it's for a job. If that is a normal part of your daily activity then maybe you should change your lifestyle activity to active. It also looks like you're logging some exercise that is..how do I put this...maybe part of your normal daily activity that shouldn't be counted. To switch things up try to log cardio or strength training only when you're doing actual exercise and don't count everything you do in a normal day.

3. Try to lower the sodium. I wouldn't be surprised if you're holding on to 5-10 pounds of water weight due to the sodium levels.

4. Try to eat consistently. I can't tell from your diary if you are skipping meals often or if you just forgot to log it in. But get your body used to a routine so it's not guessing when it will get more fuel. Try to eat 3 balanced meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

That's all I have. I'm not an expert or a nutritionist or in any way certified to give professional advice. But from my experience with this stuff and what's working for me, this is what I would suggest. It's worth a try if your current tactics aren't working. Hope that helps!

anubis609 · April 2011

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

You referred The URL! Bwahahaha :devil: Excellent...

mkingraham · April 2011

my $.02- you aren't eating enough and you are eating to much processed foods. I would recommend checking out the clean eating magazine which has a lot of healthy fresh meals that are quick, easy, and delicious. Also- when you post a topic it isn't that people don't want to respond- I know I look at the recent posts and if something is there I read and respond, but if it doesn't get hit in the recent posts I probably don't see it. Don't be discouraged- you can do it!

keepsiejess · April 2011

I think:

you may be overestimating your exercise (gadgets lie, and get a REAL good one that you can trust, then corroborate with internet estimates) for the time being- dont count cleaning. not until you are sure of what you are burning.

everything you eat comes from a box. you need to make more food from scratch so you can get nutrient rich meals. too much salt in them, no control over content are just two good reasons to think ahead and make food you know is good for you/ is going to fuel you on this journey. Dont get me wrong, im a newbie too and i love me some chicken wings, and will eat them when i can afford them. but lean cuisine combined with subs and regularly skipping breakfast. no good.

if you have earned those exercise cals: eat them back! I will refer you to The URL: shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

look at other successful folks' diaries to get an idea of how/what they eat and how/what they do for exercise.

good luck!

You referred The URL! Bwahahaha :devil: Excellent...

The URL is gonna take over MFP!!!

Where's the support??

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