Conflicted and I Need Help!

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mariss323
mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!

Years ago I joined Weight Watchers with my mom and over the course of about 2 1/2 years I lost around 80 pounds. Life eventually got in the way and I stopped going. I thought I could continue doing the program on my own but I couldn't. Life still went on and I went on as if I could still try and do the program, even if it was partially. Fast forward and I had gained everything I had lost back and then some.

This past summer I was tired of this and decided enough was enough. After discussing my options, I decided to try Beachbody 21 Day Fix and after 3 months without much success, I stopped doing it and joined Weight Watchers (in August) because it had worked in the past. I am coming up on having been a member of Weight Watchers again for almost 3 months and I have seen very little progress, which is extremely frustrating to me.

I feel very lost, and as if this maybe doesn't really work? In the past, when I did the program, I ate a lot of processed foods because they were low in points. This time around they are encouraging lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, etc. and less processed foods. I have always enjoyed eating fruits but not so much veggies so I tend to only have one serving a day of them, if that.

I also have a Smart Ones meal almost daily for lunch. Is it possible that this could be hindering my progress? I do still have processed things, but not as frequently as I used to. So I am wondering why I am not seeing the scale budge.

I recently signed up for an online exercise challenge in which weekly meals are also included. They are "clean". The exercises include strength training and HIIT with 2 rest days. I have been doing the low-impact HIIT for reasons based on I know I will fail based at my current weight and throw in the towel; however, the person running challenge said it's ok to try something harder and to not finish it.

I am very conflicted. I know not to expect massive amounts of weight loss, as it didn't take me a short while to put the weight on. But after 6 months of not much success, I don't know what to do.

Time is a big factor for me, as I work full-time and go to school part-time in the evenings. Free time is often spent doing school work. This is not an excuse but my present reality.

What are your thoughts? What are your tips/advice? Should I keep paying for something that maybe isn't working? I just want to see results. My goal is to lose 4-5 lbs/month. I think that is reasonable. My current weight is 264.8. No, I'm not proud of this. But I have to own it in order to make changes.

What should a daily nutritional intake look like for me?

Sorry for all of the questions! I just want answers. So that I can make the changes I need to. I've done this once. I can do it again. I just don't know how. Please help me.
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Replies

  • Natasha_Fit_Fab
    Natasha_Fit_Fab Posts: 93 Member
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    What is working for me is when I learned what MY body naturally burned just to maintain itself. So to lose 1 lb a wk I had to eat 500 calories less than that on a daily basis. ..that was easy to understand and do. ..not only that you can eat whatever you choose as long as you stay within that range. However I am focused on a balanced nutrition... that's important for ME. On a side note people are losing weight eating processed and fast food everyday. I hope this helps
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
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    Well, since you are on MyFitnessPal, you could use this website to log your calories in and calories out. Bonus: It's free! As a side note, if you post your height, folks will be able to give you better advice.

    How to Set your Goals:

    Click Goals > Change Goals > Guided, Continue, enter in your accurate information and realistic goal weight, and click Update Profile. MFP will give you good information on how many calories you should eat each day to safely lose weight. You can lose weight without feeling like you are starving all the time. I promise! Good luck! :)

    Direct Link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals
    BMI Calculator: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmi-calculator
    BMR Calculator: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
  • mariss323
    mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you Aemely. I am doing this now. I am 5'7".
  • mariss323
    mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
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    It recommends 2,260 calories/day and then it is further broken down into 283.0g of carbs/day, 75.0g of fat/day, and 113.0g of protein/day. Then it says 1,170 calories burned/week based on (2) 60 minute workouts (I was estimating - yes I am working out daily now but after this challenge is complete, I don't know what my next step will be). Any thoughts?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    What weight loss rate and activity setting gave you 2260 ? Seems high for a woman.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I use another website and based on your stats it gives out about 2,000 - 2,200 but this is always just a starting point. I would recommend eating the same amount of calories daily and leaving exercise out of the equation (I mean, do exercise just don't worry about calories burned). That way if you do not see results you simply start decreasing about 100-200 calories every 2-3 weeks until you start seeing results. Also, since you have a busy life if you miss the gym or an exercise routine you don't have to keep adjusting your daily calories.

    Weight watchers is just a complicated way to count calories. Simply counting the calories you eat is much easier and makes you more aware of your macros. Learn how to measure and count accurately, this is key. If you do this the correct way you will lose weight, if you are not then lower your calories or reanalyze to make sure you are counting correctly.

    Counting can be time consuming in the beginning. I would say it would take me about 30 minutes daily to log everything I ate, now it probably takes a whole 5 minutes a day. Once you start building your list and getting used to the process it will only take a few minutes. Most people eat the same variation of foods so your list one day will stop growing.

    Read the important post on the beginning board categories to find tips on how to use this website well. All you need to do to lose weight is eat less than you burn. Once you find what that number is and stick to it, you will see results.

    Good luck.

  • mariss323
    mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    What weight loss rate and activity setting gave you 2260 ? Seems high for a woman.

    I put in my goal weight of 160llbs. I also entered that I am "Lightly Active" because I am currently a Toddler Teacher, which is definitely not a sedentary job in the least, especially when with (6) two-year olds! We are not always doing active things, as it is a learning environment, but a good portion of any two-year old's day is activity. For the how many times week do I plan on exercising I put (2) 60 minute workouts (this is an estimation). I also selected to count calories as opposed to kilojoules. And I selected my goal to lose 1 pound per week. I honestly wasn't sure what to select.
  • mariss323
    mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
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    alereck wrote: »
    I use another website and based on your stats it gives out about 2,000 - 2,200 but this is always just a starting point. I would recommend eating the same amount of calories daily and leaving exercise out of the equation (I mean, do exercise just don't worry about calories burned). That way if you do not see results you simply start decreasing about 100-200 calories every 2-3 weeks until you start seeing results. Also, since you have a busy life if you miss the gym or an exercise routine you don't have to keep adjusting your daily calories.

    Weight watchers is just a complicated way to count calories. Simply counting the calories you eat is much easier and makes you more aware of your macros. Learn how to measure and count accurately, this is key. If you do this the correct way you will lose weight, if you are not then lower your calories or reanalyze to make sure you are counting correctly.

    Counting can be time consuming in the beginning. I would say it would take me about 30 minutes daily to log everything I ate, now it probably takes a whole 5 minutes a day. Once you start building your list and getting used to the process it will only take a few minutes. Most people eat the same variation of foods so your list one day will stop growing.

    Read the important post on the beginning board categories to find tips on how to use this website well. All you need to do to lose weight is eat less than you burn. Once you find what that number is and stick to it, you will see results.

    Good luck.

    Thank you so much for your help! I am going to look into everything that you said and suggested. The biggest thing for me is that I know that I need to make changes so that I can be successful. And I am aware that I am obviously doing something wrong. I just don't know where or how to go about it. I am spending the rest of the night looking into this. And now that you said that about exercise, I don't know what to do about the challenge I am in. So much to consider!
  • ourtruelovewillneverdie
    ourtruelovewillneverdie Posts: 170 Member
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    I would try just logging calories. I tried weight watchers but it didn't work for me because I loaded up on fruit and veggies. Even though they are zero points they still add calories so I didn't really lose much and I think it was partly because of the amount of fruit I was eating. That's just me though.
  • pfoley194
    pfoley194 Posts: 2
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    2000 calories a day seems too high to lose weight. I can only lose weight on 1200 calories a day. My fitness pal keeps track of my calories and if I keep checking the calorie count after each meal, I tend to be very careful as the day goes on knowing how many more calories I can have till I reach my 1200 limit that day. It is easy to take in more calories if I don't keep track on a daily basis. Every once in awhile I stop keeping track, and when I do I find I have not lost anything and sometimes gain a pound back and then it is back to the 1200 again and My Fitness Pal.
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
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    I ran your numbers thru Scooby's and got about 2100 even at light exercise, so it's pretty close to accurate (which is as accurate as you can get in this game). Weigh and log all your foods. It's really that simple. Recalculate your TDEE for every 5 pounds you lose to stay on top of it.
  • fluffyasacat
    fluffyasacat Posts: 242 Member
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    pfoley194 wrote: »
    2000 calories a day seems too high to lose weight. I can only lose weight on 1200 calories a day. My fitness pal keeps track of my calories and if I keep checking the calorie count after each meal, I tend to be very careful as the day goes on knowing how many more calories I can have till I reach my 1200 limit that day. It is easy to take in more calories if I don't keep track on a daily basis. Every once in awhile I stop keeping track, and when I do I find I have not lost anything and sometimes gain a pound back and then it is back to the 1200 again and My Fitness Pal.

    As you are not the OP we can safely say that if the 1200 thing works for you then "yay"... but applying your methods (which are borderline extreme and only suitable for a very sedentary person) to the OP's situation is not safe.
  • fluffyasacat
    fluffyasacat Posts: 242 Member
    edited November 2014
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    mariss323 wrote: »
    Time is a big factor for me, as I work full-time and go to school part-time in the evenings. Free time is often spent doing school work. This is not an excuse but my present reality.

    I also have a full time job, lots of freelance on the side, and am a parent. It's hard to make meals and get time to work out, so I applaud your efforts in actually doing that. I have a few tips:
    1. Whatever you decide your calorie goal should be, keep adjusting it with your revised weight. It will go up or down weekly or even daily, if you weigh daily. I use a spreadsheet with formulas to log my weight and thereby calculate my calories for that day. While it may seem pedantic to say "ok I can eat 3 less calories today", it means it's gradual and you don't have to reduce calories in big jumps.
    2. Keep eating at TDEE - 20% or 25% and don't change it, even if the weight doesn't come off some weeks. Some weeks our hormones rule and water weight messes with the number. DON'T FREAK OUT. If you're eating 20-25% less than you're burning, the weight coming off is an inevitability. Stick with it!
    3. Don't be tempted to go too low with calories. You'll just start losing muscle, which will in turn negatively affect your ability to burn fat.
    4. Pre-plan your meals for the week. Buy ahead. Try to eat more vegetables, even though you say don't like them. Learn to like them. Vegetables are your friends - they are low in calories, nutritionally dense, and fill you up. A beautiful ratatouille with parmesan and grilled chicken breast is a terrific lunch or dinner without the dead weight of pasta, bread or rice.
    5. If appropriate, walk instead. Is it a nice day? Do you have far to go? Invest in a good trolley (mine is a "Clax", the Rolls Royce of trolleys, pictured below) and walk to the supermarket, gym or work instead or driving.
    ftds5w4eq9bg.jpg
  • dieter1200
    dieter1200 Posts: 56 Member
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    If what you really want to do is lose 5 lbs a month, I would set it to lose 1.5 lbs a week. I think you will be more happy with your progress. Because I know it is easy to measure food wrong and you have the room in your calories to go lower.
  • mariss323
    mariss323 Posts: 13 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your fantastic tips! I am reconsidering a lot of things and re-evaluating a lot so that I can make this a reality for myself. You each have brought up great tips that I want to try and incorporate into my lifestyle.

    I wonder now if maybe I am trying to do too much at once? And by that I mean, changing my diet with the restricted plan that was included with the challenge, weight lifting, and HIIT workouts. Could this be too much for someone who is not used to this and is still trying to find her way in weight loss and finding what works?

    I had long thought that getting a grasp on nutrition was the key before adding exercise but since I hadn't seen much in the results department, I thought maybe this would jumpstart me and give me a reason to continue. But I guess I am questioning if my thinking was all wrong?

    At dieter1200, I have since set it to lose 1.5 lbs/wk.

    Fluffyasacat - you had wonderful tips. I am used to packing my lunch either the morning of, within 5 minutes (grabbing a Smart Ones meal, a Del Monte fruit cup packed in "light syrup", etc.) or sometimes the night before if it happens to be leftovers. To me when I think of eating veggies, I often just think of eating a salad, which is ok, but becomes boring quickly. I know I need to expand my horizons, but I am new to this and still learning. I do still live at home (I am saving to move out!) and sometimes don't have control over what is prepared for dinner. Does anyone recommend I just prepare my own dinner?

    And from what I gather, most people seem to like MFP over Weight Watchers. Is that right?

    I apologize for all of the questions and comments. As I've mentioned, I just want to get a good foundation for myself and finally get myself headed in the right direction. Any help that is offered, I appreciate.
  • hortensehildegarde
    hortensehildegarde Posts: 592 Member
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    ourtruelovewillneverdie wrote: »
    I would try just logging calories. I tried weight watchers but it didn't work for me because I loaded up on fruit and veggies. Even though they are zero points they still add calories so I didn't really lose much and I think it was partly because of the amount of fruit I was eating. That's just me though.

    This. My understanding of how WW works right now is I think it's a crapshoot on if you happen to pick things on the low end of calories per each point.

    I never was officially a member but my mom did it lots and I learned how (years ago when the plan was different) but I still always found myself counting calories instead of units.

    So now I just count calories.

    As for starting off with too much, this last go-around with MFP I started off by setting myself as sedentary with a goal to lose .5 per week (I don't even sit up to work half the time so it sounds like at least lightly active would be more appropriate for you). I focused on practicing weighing all solids and measuring all liquids to try to learn accurate measuring and finding accurate entries to use from the database so I knew my counts weren't overestimates. Once I got the hang of the tools I have tried changing my goal around and incorporating more movement (typically walking).

    I think it is probably important to grasp the purpose and execution of the changes and also not overwhelm yourself. There is a lot of info on these boards. People usually link the sexypants thread it's in the stickies it's good to read and revisit as you mentally work out learning and changes that make sense to strive for.
  • pfoley194
    pfoley194 Posts: 2
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    fluffyasacat wrote: »
    pfoley194 wrote: »
    2000 calories a day seems too high to lose weight. I can only lose weight on 1200 calories a day. My fitness pal keeps track of my calories and if I keep checking the calorie count after each meal, I tend to be very careful as the day goes on knowing how many more calories I can have till I reach my 1200 limit that day. It is easy to take in more calories if I don't keep track on a daily basis. Every once in awhile I stop keeping track, and when I do I find I have not lost anything and sometimes gain a pound back and then it is back to the 1200 again and My Fitness Pal.

    As you are not the OP we can safely say that if the 1200 thing works for you then "yay"... but applying your methods (which are borderline extreme and only suitable for a very sedentary person) to the OP's situation is not safe.

    ======
    The OP stated she was confused and conflicted as to why she has not been losing weight and wondering what she is doing wrong. I would suggest that if a person is not losing weight on the amount of calories she is taking in, she should cut down on those calories. Her 2260 calorie count is not working for her. It is only common sense.
    Obviously, if she is young and very active she would need more calories than 1200.
    Also keeping track on my fitness pal of everything she eats; will keep her on track as to whatever daily calorie count she has set as her goal. When we don't keep track, we forget how much we have actually have eaten that day. I like how my fitness pal figures it all out for me informing me how many calories there are in everything I eat.

  • justalittlecrazy
    justalittlecrazy Posts: 88 Member
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    Are you weighing everything you eat? Eyeballing amounts and even measuring can mean lots of extra calories. Get a good scale and measure in grams.

    And just for the record, I am 5'10, 305ish pounds and losing on 2290 calories per day plus eating some of my exercise calories. If you have your goals set to 1lb per week, the amount of 2200 per day was probably right on. Make sure your goal is liveable for you.

    Don't give up, whatever you do! It seems like you have a lot of stick-to-it-ness to have stayed with it this long without results.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    mariss323 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for your fantastic tips! I am reconsidering a lot of things and re-evaluating a lot so that I can make this a reality for myself. You each have brought up great tips that I want to try and incorporate into my lifestyle.

    I wonder now if maybe I am trying to do too much at once? And by that I mean, changing my diet with the restricted plan that was included with the challenge, weight lifting, and HIIT workouts. Could this be too much for someone who is not used to this and is still trying to find her way in weight loss and finding what works?

    I had long thought that getting a grasp on nutrition was the key before adding exercise but since I hadn't seen much in the results department, I thought maybe this would jumpstart me and give me a reason to continue. But I guess I am questioning if my thinking was all wrong?

    At dieter1200, I have since set it to lose 1.5 lbs/wk.

    Fluffyasacat - you had wonderful tips. I am used to packing my lunch either the morning of, within 5 minutes (grabbing a Smart Ones meal, a Del Monte fruit cup packed in "light syrup", etc.) or sometimes the night before if it happens to be leftovers. To me when I think of eating veggies, I often just think of eating a salad, which is ok, but becomes boring quickly. I know I need to expand my horizons, but I am new to this and still learning. I do still live at home (I am saving to move out!) and sometimes don't have control over what is prepared for dinner. Does anyone recommend I just prepare my own dinner?

    And from what I gather, most people seem to like MFP over Weight Watchers. Is that right?

    I apologize for all of the questions and comments. As I've mentioned, I just want to get a good foundation for myself and finally get myself headed in the right direction. Any help that is offered, I appreciate.

    I think breaking it into steps and doing it more gradually is easier for many than trying to make a drastic change at once. The most important thing for losing weight is figuring out the right calories and sticking to them, which MFP makes easy. I personally find the MFP approach more intuitive than WW, since I like knowing the actual calories.

    IMO, start with the calories given you (at the 1.5 lb loss to start, to have some wiggle room), and pre-log a couple of days with foods you eat and can easily make to see how they fit together and add up and then try sticking to that for a few weeks and seeing how it's working.

    If you want, also keep working in your exercise. Doing something regularly that you will enjoy and stick with is more important than what it is. If you enjoy the HIIT you are doing keep it up, but definitely feel free to start slow. You get into shape as the process goes on and overdoing the exercise at first risks being discouraging.
  • mrsKOrtiz
    mrsKOrtiz Posts: 949 Member
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    It does not sound like you want or plan on giving up. (Im sure someone has already mentioned this) Honestly, I would not pay for weight watchers. This is a great site and tool to keep track of what you eat. Another tip, be patient whenever you decide to calorie count. You will see changes and you'll learn what is good for YOU.

    Understand this too, eating clean IS good but not for everyone. I currently do not eat clean. I will probably NEVER eat all clean foods. But I will little by little learn to cook and add MORE clean foods to my diet but I do not believe in 'eliminating' any foods from my diet. But that is just me. Also, there are plenty of success stories that prove that you CAN eat processed foods. Just sayin'

    To each there own. Feel free to add me.

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