Help Anyone?

cajunurmamma
cajunurmamma Posts: 16
edited November 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
Essentially, I'm still stuck (I posted a few weeks ago under the title Stuck). I just don't know what else to do. I haven't lost in about a month now... and weight loss was slow a couple of weeks before then. I should continue to lose at a rate of 2 lbs per week but since Oct. 4 my weight has only changed by ounces. I don't know what y'all can see, but if you see "lost 1.9 on her last weigh in" etc., it's only because I basically continue to gain and re lose the same couple of pounds. I am stuck at about 160- still 35 pounds over my healthy and still a bit chunky, let's be real I'm 40 goal weight. I know I am under calorie on somedays but my food intake is usually so nutrient dense that I'm not hungry any more than what I log... and isn't the general school of thought "don't eat unless you're hungry-listen to your body"? Posts I've read encourage drinking water to see if you're truly hungry- so if I'm feeling hungry and I know it hasn't been long since I ate, I will drink water & give it about 20 minutes. I'm almost always still hungry at that point so I eat a snack or something. Sometimes I will add a glass of wine in the evening just to up my calories. I obsessively log everything. I even carry my homemade ounce glasses (I marked each ounce with a sharpie on the outside, 1-6), my measuring spoons, etc in my purse. This is the first morning weigh in that I've thought- give up. I tried eating back exercise calories in the beginning but it was causing me to gain.

I will say this... I am very hungry during the night while trying to sleep. It keeps me awake at times and doesn't go away. But it would be ridiculous to get up and eat at 2am and it helps me eat a good breakfast when I do get up between 6-7.

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Replies

  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
    While I'm no expert by any means, quick peruse through the last few days of your dairy indicates to me that you're probably not eating enough. 1100 cals per day is basically not enough for anyone from everything I've heard/read/experienced. Also, what do you do for exercise? Perhaps just shaking things up and upping your calories would help. Maybe give some strength training a try (if you aren't doing it already) for a few weeks while upping your calories till you hit your daily intake goal.

    Stick with it! You'll get through this. Stay strong, stick to your plan, and you'll make progress. You got this.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    edited November 2014
    Wow- thanks for the pep talk :) Looking at my diary, It does seem like around 1100 a day is my average "not hungry anymore" place. Should I add more saturated fats (i know that sounds crazy), maybe that would help me to up caloric intake while still listening to my body's stopping point? I feel excellent though- don't want to mess with that.
    - Thai Boxing
    - Swimming
    - Walk/Jog intervals (trying to rebuild slowly from old marathon training broken ankle)

    I have upped my strength training- but maybe I need more. I've noticed that my body fat percentage is going up, not down.

    I only log exercise through fitbit so as not to double earned calories.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You say you're not hungry, yet you also say you wake up in the night because of hunger... that's not really normal and suggests you could eat more!
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    Yes- It's weird. I eat until I'm satisfied during the day- trying to manage portions and use self control. But I usually wake up after a couple of hours of sleeping with hunger pangs that don't go away.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    edited November 2014
    I'm not a Fitbit user so excuse me if my question is misinformed, but is this device on your body when you swim and do your Judo/kickboxing? And if it is, isn't that double-counting?

    Your deficits* do stand out. I can see why you're feeling an itch to quit, but think about what that would mean -- here comes the fat gain again. So you're kinda stuck -- can't quit (go backward), can't move forward. If this were my experience, I'd try getting slowly above 1200 calories, carefully monitoring to see whether that causes any weight gain. If it does not, then my metabolism was slowing in response to these deficits. I'd continue to add 100 daily each week until I figure out where I either start to lose or gain. If you find your personal TDEE (the point above which you start to gain stored body fat), stay there for a while to establish your metabolism then create a 250 daily deficit and you should lose 0.5 lbs a week and after a few weeks of that, create a larger deficit (another 250 for 1 lb. per week).

    Don't add wine to up your calories. Alcohol is metabolized differently -- if you're familiar with fiber and how it works, consider alcohol the anti-fiber. The short version is that all liver processing of energy stops when the liver encounters alcohol and does not restart again until the liver is done processing the alcohol -- and the net net is quick fat storage of those calories. If you are going to drink alcohol, sip it very slowly so that your liver does not switch full-time to alcohol processing. It truly is an odd duck of nutrients. This will be a good research item for you: http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/page2.htm

    *just a PS to say that the studies I've read indicate you're eating above the point where metabolism slowing has been recorded. Doesn't mean that it's not possible at your level, it just hasn't been studied and acknowledged in anything that I've read. Even if it has, you are not a study, you are you.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Just a few thoughts. I am not a fan of MFP's default macro settings, thus I follow the TDEE method (many posts on the various stickies about this methodology). I believe protein and fat should be statically set and carbohydrates should be the fluctuating factor due to activity. So if you are less active, then less carbs... more active, more carbs (carbs have caloric value, thus your calories adjust based on your activity as its meant to). There are various reasons to have protein and fat static (again discussed in many stickies throughout), but from a dieting perspective (caloric deficit specifically), these two help greatly in satiety (feeling full). So all that being said, maybe incorporate a little more protein and/or fat at night in your last meal to help with hunger while still being in your daily allotment of calories.

    As far as the platueu, honestly, it will be dependent on several things. It's more than likely you are eating more than you think. Maybe go back and re-access your food choices and database entries to confirm correctness. Weigh all food with a digital scale to confirm weight (not volume like using a measuring spoon or cup). Weigh and log everything that passes through your mouth for two weeks and then see about your weight. If you are still not trending downward, then it might be cause to look into maybe a short diet break. Your body does an amazing job of adaptation and someone who has been dieting for a long time will have their body adapt to lower caloric state. So taking a short diet break and eating at maintenance calories for a few weeks and then going back on your deficit might be what's called for (there is a group on MFP called "eating more to weigh less" or something like that, which will offer more detailed I for if applicable). But again, this would be the second possibility (outside of medical issue), so concentrate and confirm or disprove the first likelihood of your probably eating more than you think.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    edited November 2014
    Good info! I did all of the TDEE and deficit figuring when I began & lost the first 30 at a healthy, good rate but maybe it's time to revisit and refigure. As the months have gone by I have definitely gotten more active as I feel better.

    Fitbit- fair question! I don't wear my fitbit when I swim. I do wear it the rest of the day/night. But I personally do not usually add in any of those activities. I don't know what you see on my diary, but almost all of my earned calories through fitbit are simply from it measuring my steps,pace and miles throughout my normal day- it will pick up some of that through kickboxing but not how rigorous. I average 13,500-16,000 steps a day, 30-60 "active" minutes, 6-7 miles a day. 7 days a week. usually less on Sunday.

    There are a few times I may have added small amounts to MFP of swimming or martial arts just to see where it compares on fitbit. If anything I def have more calories burned, no doubling. I've tried to be very careful with that.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    Another PS: (sorry) ... think over whether this applies to you ...

    http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/how-to-repair-a-damaged-metabolism-456.html
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I don't understand. You claim you're not hungry but then say you stay awake at night because you ARE hungry. But you grab a glass of wine in the evening to "up" your calories. Why not eat something before you go to bed so you can sleep through the night? I've gone to bed hungry before and slept fine so I guess I don't understand how you can be so full before bed and wake up that hungry?
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    As I reposted before- I go to bed full and usually wake up hungry a couple of hours into my sleep. Im usually hungry every couple of hours during the day as well, but am awake, so I eat. A reasonable, healthy portion of food/snack
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    cajunurmamma wrote: »
    As I reposted before- I go to bed full and usually wake up hungry a couple of hours into my sleep. Im usually hungry every couple of hours during the day as well, but am awake, so I eat. A reasonable, healthy portion of food/snack

    You haven't put your stats, but to be honest 1100 cals isn't generally a healthy amount of calories, especially if you're exercising on top of that.

    That being said, unless you've been eating so little for long enough to do yourself some metabolic damage, then you SHOULD be losing weight. Do you weigh everything on food scales?
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    edited November 2014
    I do weigh everything on a food scale... everything. I am eating a lot of fiber and feel full after eating. I am trying to stay with healthy fats but sometimes fall under even on those so Im thinking maybe add more fats? I'm afraid to mess with the progress I have made and do feel great as far as energy and nutrition.

    I am 5'3, 159 lbs, small frame. I am also on Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism. And of course while I say that I weigh "everything" this does not include foods eaten out... which is why I rarely eat out. I do however bring my measuring cups and ounce glass while eating out as previously stated.
  • cajunurmamma
    cajunurmamma Posts: 16
    maidentl wrote: »
    I don't understand. You claim you're not hungry but then say you stay awake at night because you ARE hungry. But you grab a glass of wine in the evening to "up" your calories. Why not eat something before you go to bed so you can sleep through the night? I've gone to bed hungry before and slept fine so I guess I don't understand how you can be so full before bed and wake up that hungry?


    I don't understand either. Hence the title Help :) "I claim"... no, I am- otherwise I wouldn't have posted a request for sound advice after successfully losing 30 pounds on my own, with no advice or posts. When I was eating processed, low nutrient foods I often went to bed hungry then slept fine. As I have adjusted to high nutrient, detoxifying foods I am almost always satisfied until I sleep because like most people, I don't want to get up every couple of hours to eat. At this time I am more than full and satisfied until I wake during the night. I don't feel like it should be rocket science but it is confusing to me as well... I thought that was the point of these forums. I have no reason to claim something falsely lol. I'm not sure where that would get me on my journey of health and well being. Having said this- I haven't sat on my butt this long in awhile, so I'm out :)
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Um, I simply said I didn't understand. You're quite defensive. I never once implied that you shouldn't ask for advice or that you were making a false claim. :huh: I did make a suggestion - that you eat before bed to try and stave off hunger. But yeah, I'm out too...

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