Judge my diary: I just made it public!

1) weigh your orange or grapefruit before going to work, either peeling and then weighing or just saving the peel to re-weight after work.

2) Why? CICO. The only benefits you'll experience will be losing more water weight (which is temporary, as you'll gain it back if and when you return to eating carbs like a normal person)

3) You are either a) eating more than you think, b) eating too much for your actual energy needs, c) retaining water if you're just starting out a new exercise regimen.

4) Doesn't matter. CICO. I'm finding that I prefer eating more in the evening as well, or at least having the opportunity to basically eat nearer supper time and then again before bed.

As for problems with your logging....

a) your calorie goal is reaaaaaaaaaaaally low. I can easily see you becoming more lethargic as a result if what you log is even close to your actual consumption, which thus lowers your energy needs and thus makes the deficit less than waht you are wanting.

b) you don't appear to be weighing most things despite saying you try to weigh everything. E.g. honey is always listed as 21g (are you weighing it out to 21g each time?), this entry - "Lay - Barbecue Potato Chips, 0.5 package (oz)" - seems super generic (what is the net weight of the bag you ate? Did you bother weighing it? How do you know this listing matches to the bag you ate?), your oranges always come in at the same weight, you are using a generic recipe entry (popcorn -- enter your own recipe or simply add in the ml/volume of oil you used and then weigh the kernels before adding to the oil) AND measuring it by cups instead of weight, wtf is this "Duplicate Entry - Spinach Tortilla (Duplicate), 1 tortilla"?, Avocado weighed in the same twice, same weight again for the tomatoes

c) your protein is super super super low. I'd recommend increasing your calories (i.e. reduce your goal to no more than 1lb/week) and increasing your protein along with it - 0.82x your total weight is standard for people who are concerned with maintaining lean body mass, i.e. muscle and bone density. At a minimum, at least aim for 0.6x your total weight.

d) no need to search "hard-boiled eggs." Just log 2 large eggs... calories won't change just because you hard boil or fry or scramble etc. Only reason it will change is when you add oil and based on eggs weighing in differently.

e) many of us will recommend weighing pre-packaged foods, including things like bacon and chips etc. Of all the pre-packaged foods I buy I think only my tuna, rice cakes, Breton GF crackers, and potentially the hot cross buns I bought a while ago weigh in to the weight listed on the packaging. I've had slices of bacon that lists e.g. 2 slices as 50g but I can get 3 slices for 60g or something (20g per slice instead of 25g).

krawhitham wrote: »

Yeah, I know I CAN do it, it's just a matter of how... after over a year on MFP i'm beginning to think this isn't the best way for me.

The how is easy: take the food you want to eat, place on your scale, log the weight, eat. It's the same process you are using now, only... with actually weighing?

Losing weight is about being at a caloric deficit. If you think you can do this without tracking calories then that's fine, but in my experience it isn't nearly as controllable or as "freeing." I had to be very restrictive with waht I ate and workout like 6-7 hours a week to lose weight without tracking, and it clearly was not sustainable as I gained weight back. If you think that you can do it successfully and from there learn how to maintain long term, then that's also fine.

bonniejo wrote: »

Something people aren't talking about here, is a possible cortisol imbalance. If you are eating most of your calories at night, it is likely that your cortisol levels that can help with weight loss are out of wack. Here is a link for more info: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53304

I would really recommend eating breakfast and having an even eating pattern throughout the day so you aren't so hungry at night. Even if you don't change what you are eating, changing when you eat it can help with weight loss, or at least make your day more stable. It's likely to give you more energy as well, which could lead to a higher calorie burn because you are more likely to go for a walk etc.

I do agree that much of the weight lost from low carb is from water. It is possible it works for you and your personal blood sugar levels though. Going low carb will affect your runs, since the muscle glycogen that sustains your run will be low. Maybe try a middle road with a 30/30/40 split (30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carb)

I am getting my masters in nutrition, which is how I know all this! Let me know if it was confusing. Is it possible you aren't weighing/logging properly? Maybe, I don't know, but you have such a huge deficit that it is unlikely that would be the whole picture. It's also possible that you will just have a big drop all at once on the scale, it works like that sometimes.

There have been plenty of times I've eaten most of my food at night. and there are people here who also eat almost all of their food at night. This works for them.

I was doing the whole "balanced calories every meal" thing. It was too strict. then I decided to just grab food that I felt like eating for breakfast, log it, and then do the same for lunch. A few days of doing this I saw that I reserve more calories for the evening without meaning to, and I'm actually much happier this way and have been less moody as a result of not forcing myself to eat a certain way.

bonniejo wrote: »

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

nvtvshvsuraya wrote: »

I think you should eat most of your calories before 5pm .. eat frequently in small portions (helps you to fight craving)
And try to change yr sleeping habits .last but not least ,dont lose hope .. You are almost there

No! Timing has no relevance on weight loss.

Yes, it does. Cortisol levels can have huge effects for some people, adrenal fatigue is a real thing. Look at my post above for more information

I've only ever seen this mentioned for people who are WAY over training. Not due to how they eat.