WHY IS MY DIET NOT WORKING??????

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  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
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    Yes, I did, and I noticed the counts were way high in carbohydrates and there were some days where you had a good amount of juice instead of fruit, for example. Like Monday for lunch, you had 20 oz of juice, which, if you have insulin issues like some of us think you have, would cause your blood sugar to drop massively. That's not even taking into account the cookies you had with your salad and 1 skewer of meat and peppers. Assuming Monday is a complete entry, you also underate. Assuming the macros are correct, your diet that day was less than 14% protein, too.

    I don't want you to completely hate me, so I'll stop with that.
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    well I can see you arent getting enough protein. too much sodium and a lot of the time you are under 1000 calories.The aramark thing(Im assuming its the college cafeteria?).I dont think the nutrition facts are accurate.(most food packaging isnt) how do they get nutrition info?

    I agree. OP if you're eating in a cafeteria then it can be hard to estimate portion sizes. I would say that's probably the first place to start.

    Also, I'm seeing days with meals missing (did you only eat lunch one day this week). I understand that it's tough to log sometimes, but if those are cheat meals or skipped days then they could be hurting your progress.

    Lunch is hard to calculate because I have classes back to back most days, so If I do eat lunch it gets logged in as dinner... cafeteria hours suck and don't really benefit us students with classes around 1pm, I cant always grab a quick bite because the lines are long and I usually have allot of studying to do during lunch time. Yeah, aramark is the campus food and what I Put it on myfitnesspal is the same as what's on the school menus website. I dont always have time to log in my foods.. and sometimes I forget. but I've had a pretty good 7 day streak so far... At first I was eating 1200.. but I was told it was too little, some said too much... my doctor said 1400 should be sufficient but seeing as I'm still hungry maybe not??? I eat allot of meat tho so I don't know why I'm not getting enough protein??? I'm doing my best to start calculating my food EVERYDAY and I'm gonna get a food scale its kinda hard tho being a broke college student lol...
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    Yes, I did, and I noticed the counts were way high in carbohydrates and there were some days where you had a good amount of juice instead of fruit, for example. Like Monday for lunch, you had 20 oz of juice, which, if you have insulin issues like some of us think you have, would cause your blood sugar to drop massively. That's not even taking into account the cookies you had with your salad and 1 skewer of meat and peppers. Assuming Monday is a complete entry, you also underate. Assuming the macros are correct, your diet that day was less than 14% protein, too.

    I don't want you to completely hate me, so I'll stop with that.

    LOL no I don't hate you, Monday was a bad day filled with emergency foods. Monday and Wednesdays are pretty busy, sometimes i have to sacrifice food for study time....
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    Yes, I did, and I noticed the counts were way high in carbohydrates and there were some days where you had a good amount of juice instead of fruit, for example. Like Monday for lunch, you had 20 oz of juice, which, if you have insulin issues like some of us think you have, would cause your blood sugar to drop massively. That's not even taking into account the cookies you had with your salad and 1 skewer of meat and peppers. Assuming Monday is a complete entry, you also underate. Assuming the macros are correct, your diet that day was less than 14% protein, too.

    I don't want you to completely hate me, so I'll stop with that.

    There aren't many fruit options in the cafe sadly and I don't have allot of money to spend on fresh fruits at the local organic market... ever since I started college I gained the freshman 15, well more like freshman 60 in my case...
  • hbaker712
    hbaker712 Posts: 4
    edited January 2015
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    I don't know if anyone else said it, but you really don't need to be worrying about keeping protein high in order to gain/retain lean muscle mass. Studies have shown overweight people can gain muscle and lose fat on a caloric deficit. At its most basic level, weight loss is very simple arithmetic (i.e., calories in must be less than calories out to lose weight).

    A lot of the advice I did read in this thread is spot on. You've got to track your food accurately every single time. Guessing just doesn't cut it, even for dietitians per studies. I'm going to go against the grain and suggest that your macros don't really matter all the much at this point. There are studies to support this view and the opposite. Focus hard on creating that caloric deficit.

    In terms of hunger, you can work on adding more protein and especially fats into your diet. You don't need to do keto, but increasing fat intake can help you feel less hungry. A big part of hunger can also be habit. I for one had to break my habit of night eating. To do this, I started intermittent fasting. That may not work for you, but we all have to find something to change our habits for the better.

    Don't give up. Keep those calories on track, add some exercise if you haven't already, and keep your head up. Weight loss in a marathon, not a race. Some miles will be faster than others, it's still a long run.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    doesnt have to be organic if you cant afford that. fresh fruit is fine(not everything labeled organic is anyway although some people think it is). you need to be eating snacks(healthy ones)between meals to keep your blood sugar up
  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
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    Tobore wrote: »
    Yes, I did, and I noticed the counts were way high in carbohydrates and there were some days where you had a good amount of juice instead of fruit, for example. Like Monday for lunch, you had 20 oz of juice, which, if you have insulin issues like some of us think you have, would cause your blood sugar to drop massively. That's not even taking into account the cookies you had with your salad and 1 skewer of meat and peppers. Assuming Monday is a complete entry, you also underate. Assuming the macros are correct, your diet that day was less than 14% protein, too.

    I don't want you to completely hate me, so I'll stop with that.

    There aren't many fruit options in the cafe sadly and I don't have allot of money to spend on fresh fruits at the local organic market... ever since I started college I gained the freshman 15, well more like freshman 60 in my case...

    HAHA! I did too, after the OMG so much stress! But I ended up having insulin issues at your age, actually, so freshman 60 for me was way more accurate than you could imagine. So was falling asleep for 4 hours after even a sip of juice, so yeah. And I totally understand the school insanity. I'm preparing to apply to possibly go back for my MS, or possibly switch careers.

    I guess your posts hit way closer to home than they should.
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    doesnt have to be organic if you cant afford that. fresh fruit is fine(not everything labeled organic is anyway although some people think it is). you need to be eating snacks(healthy ones)between meals to keep your blood sugar up

    Okay so pretty much fresh fruit is the best way to go...
  • Kipke9
    Kipke9 Posts: 10
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    I viewed a couple of days in your diary... you need to eat at least 3 times a day. If not, your body will go into a starving mode. This means it will burn less fat due to it want to conserve it for later, in case the starvation will worsen. Everything you'll eat, your body wants to conserve that calorie income to maintain those reserves.

    If you eat 3 times a day, your body will adapt to it. It has to digest food 3 times a day, which also cost energy (=burning fat). This '3 times a day meal thing' gives your body a continue energy flow, so it won't go in that starvation mode. Then it is effective to eat your 1400 goal of the day. If you do this, you'll lose more weight! Never go under the 1000 kcal!!!

    Further, you need to eat more healthy. Leave the sweets, donuts, pizza and other unhealthy products. Try to cook your own meals with fresh vegetables. Weigh everything your eat and log it all separate to your food diary. Do not forget the oil you'll bake in or the other small unnoticeable things you'll add. Everything comes with calories.

    Also, try not to drink soda. Those drinks have a lot of sugar. I, for example, only drink water and tea ( I really like tea). Those do not have any calories. Drink +/- 2 L a day to hydrate your body.

    I hope my advice will help you in your battle. Good luck with it and I realy hope you'll reach your goal
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    Tobore wrote: »
    Yes, I did, and I noticed the counts were way high in carbohydrates and there were some days where you had a good amount of juice instead of fruit, for example. Like Monday for lunch, you had 20 oz of juice, which, if you have insulin issues like some of us think you have, would cause your blood sugar to drop massively. That's not even taking into account the cookies you had with your salad and 1 skewer of meat and peppers. Assuming Monday is a complete entry, you also underate. Assuming the macros are correct, your diet that day was less than 14% protein, too.

    I don't want you to completely hate me, so I'll stop with that.

    There aren't many fruit options in the cafe sadly and I don't have allot of money to spend on fresh fruits at the local organic market... ever since I started college I gained the freshman 15, well more like freshman 60 in my case...

    HAHA! I did too, after the OMG so much stress! But I ended up having insulin issues at your age, actually, so freshman 60 for me was way more accurate than you could imagine. So was falling asleep for 4 hours after even a sip of juice, so yeah. And I totally understand the school insanity. I'm preparing to apply to possibly go back for my MS, or possibly switch careers.

    I guess your posts hit way closer to home than they should.

    Yeah, it's been a struggle, and I know I have to change things and make some sacrifices, sitting down to have a good healthy meal is a start..... I've been exercising very intensely (running for 30 minutes straight, treadmill for 7 mph..) but I guess my diet is really compromising that.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
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    Kipke9 wrote: »
    I viewed a couple of days in your diary... you need to eat at least 3 times a day. If not, your body will go into a starving mode. This means it will burn less fat due to it want to conserve it for later, in case the starvation will worsen. Everything you'll eat, your body wants to conserve that calorie income to maintain those reserves.

    If you eat 3 times a day, your body will adapt to it. It has to digest food 3 times a day, which also cost energy (=burning fat). This '3 times a day meal thing' gives your body a continue energy flow, so it won't go in that starvation mode. Then it is effective to eat your 1400 goal of the day. If you do this, you'll lose more weight! Never go under the 1000 kcal!!!

    Further, you need to eat more healthy. Leave the sweets, donuts, pizza and other unhealthy products. Try to cook your own meals with fresh vegetables. Weigh everything your eat and log it all separate to your food diary. Do not forget the oil you'll bake in or the other small unnoticeable things you'll add. Everything comes with calories.

    Also, try not to drink soda. Those drinks have a lot of sugar. I, for example, only drink water and tea ( I really like tea). Those do not have any calories. Drink +/- 2 L a day to hydrate your body.

    I hope my advice will help you in your battle. Good luck with it and I realy hope you'll reach your goal

    Op please disregard the entire quoted post.

    3 times a day or starvation mode?

    Haha.gif


    And as to my doubt about muscle building, i was assuming some level of deficit, but that seems to be ruled out.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Tobore wrote: »
    Tobore wrote: »
    keithw2013 wrote: »
    How did you come up with having a blood sugar of 55?

    What are you eating and when? Is the only exercise Cardio via treadmill?

    I would like to help you.

    I checked my blood sugar with a prick.. it said 55...
    yeah 55 is low. it should be above 70 but not over 150.

    My blood sugar is always a little under 70... =/ idk why I'm not diabetic tho
    under 70 is considered hypoglycemic. which can be harmful to your health.you need to monitor daily and eat the proper foods to keep it a certain level. sometimes eating every 3-4 hrs can help

    Do you want to explain how low blood sugar is unhealthy in an otherwise healthy adult? I typically have low blood sugar, and I went to an endocrinologist. They treated me as a diabetic patient, and I spiraled out of control (sugar spikes trying to "feed the lows" and then dropping super low), although the doctor could find no health issues.

    Went to another doctor, and they said that lows are perfectly fine in non-diabetics. It can be good. They took me off all treatments, I eat more carbs at night, and I've had no other issues.
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    Kipke9 wrote: »
    I viewed a couple of days in your diary... you need to eat at least 3 times a day. If not, your body will go into a starving mode. This means it will burn less fat due to it want to conserve it for later, in case the starvation will worsen. Everything you'll eat, your body wants to conserve that calorie income to maintain those reserves.

    If you eat 3 times a day, your body will adapt to it. It has to digest food 3 times a day, which also cost energy (=burning fat). This '3 times a day meal thing' gives your body a continue energy flow, so it won't go in that starvation mode. Then it is effective to eat your 1400 goal of the day. If you do this, you'll lose more weight! Never go under the 1000 kcal!!!

    Further, you need to eat more healthy. Leave the sweets, donuts, pizza and other unhealthy products. Try to cook your own meals with fresh vegetables. Weigh everything your eat and log it all separate to your food diary. Do not forget the oil you'll bake in or the other small unnoticeable things you'll add. Everything comes with calories.

    Also, try not to drink soda. Those drinks have a lot of sugar. I, for example, only drink water and tea ( I really like tea). Those do not have any calories. Drink +/- 2 L a day to hydrate your body.

    I hope my advice will help you in your battle. Good luck with it and I realy hope you'll reach your goal

    Its kinda difficult cooking my meals since I live in a dorm not an apartment as of now but I get what you're saying... the cafeteria sucks the vegetarian options are disgusting and the more normal options are extremely fatty as I've recently discovered, I feel I'm at a loss here... the only healthy foods I can count on is the Nigerian food and I have a limited supply of that every month, and no shops here have good ethnic markets, close by of course.
  • hbaker712
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    Kipke9 wrote: »
    you need to eat at least 3 times a day. If not, your body will go into a starving mode. This means it will burn less fat due to it want to conserve it for later, in case the starvation will worsen. Everything you'll eat, your body wants to conserve that calorie income to maintain those reserves.

    If you eat 3 times a day, your body will adapt to it. It has to digest food 3 times a day, which also cost energy (=burning fat). This '3 times a day meal thing' gives your body a continue energy flow, so it won't go in that starvation mode. Then it is effective to eat your 1400 goal of the day. If you do this, you'll lose more weight! Never go under the 1000 kcal!!!

    Further, you need to eat more healthy. Leave the sweets, donuts, pizza and other unhealthy products. Try to cook your own meals with fresh vegetables. Weigh everything your eat and log it all separate to your food diary. Do not forget the oil you'll bake in or the other small unnoticeable things you'll add. Everything comes with calories.

    Also, try not to drink soda. Those drinks have a lot of sugar. I, for example, only drink water and tea ( I really like tea). Those do not have any calories. Drink +/- 2 L a day to hydrate your body.

    I hope my advice will help you in your battle. Good luck with it and I realy hope you'll reach your goal

    Sorry, but your information is wrong. I don't mean that to come off rude, but much of what you say is based on myth.

    First, starvation mode does not exist in the way many people think. Your metabolism does not slow enough to overcome an extreme caloric deficit, thus stopping weight loss, until there literally is nothing left in the body (fat, muscle, etc...) to consume for energy. Going too low on calories is dangerous, but not because you'll lose weight too slowly. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    You can eat 1 meal per day, 3 meals per day, or 12 meals per day it doesn't matter. The energy expenditure for processing calories is the same. There is no measurable increase to metabolism based on feeding the body more often. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6_meals_a_day

    If you track your calories, it doesn't really matter what you eat or drink.
    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    About 4 of the last seven days you didn't even consume 1000 calories according to your diary. If that's accurate, there's a big part of your problem and why you're feeling hungry. You're starving your body.

    If you're not measuring and your log is sloppy then THAT might be your problem. You may be consuming a LOT more than you think.

    If you're in a dorm then try investing in a fridge and a microwave. Saving what you're spending on take out and cafeteria food will have them paid for in no time. Do they allow hot plates? YOu can do a lot of cooking that way.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Tobore wrote: »
    Do you weigh all your food and using the correct entries from the database?
    No I dont use a food scale nor do I know where or how to get one

    ding, ding, ding..there is your problem..

    you are more than likely over estimating calories and are not in a calorie deficit...
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    MyM0wM0w wrote: »
    About 4 of the last seven days you didn't even consume 1000 calories according to your diary. If that's accurate, there's a big part of your problem and why you're feeling hungry. You're starving your body.

    If you're not measuring and your log is sloppy then THAT might be your problem. You may be consuming a LOT more than you think.

    If you're in a dorm then try investing in a fridge and a microwave. Saving what you're spending on take out and cafeteria food will have them paid for in no time. Do they allow hot plates? YOu can do a lot of cooking that way.

    lol I have a fridge and a microwave.. all i have in my fridge is healthy food but I cant eat whats in my fridge everyday or I'll run out of good food. I don't eat takeout I eat whats served in the cafeteria because having a meal plan is a must when you live in the dorms... that's odd, It tells me I've consumed all my calories, am I not reading it correctly??? I log my foods in mainly with my phone...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    orpurtb wrote: »
    Get off the scale and stop weighing yourself! How are your clothes fitting? If your clothes are fitting better (looser) then you are doing great! You are losing fat but gaining muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat. Muscle also burns more calories while resting, so as you keep building muscle you will burn more and more fat :) Don't be too harsh on yourself, you will see the weight loss soon.

    NO

    OP is not gaining muscle on a 1400 calories per day ..

    why is everyones default position "you are gaining muscle" …gaining muscle is hard damn work and does not just happen overnight….
  • Laureani
    Laureani Posts: 134 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Tobore wrote: »
    Do you weigh all your food and using the correct entries from the database?
    No I dont use a food scale nor do I know where or how to get one

    ding, ding, ding..there is your problem..

    you are more than likely over estimating calories and are not in a calorie deficit...

    I assumed that was one of the problems, if not the only one. someone already let me know that earlier but thanks for pointing it out again, I still need to buy one.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Kipke9 wrote: »
    I viewed a couple of days in your diary... you need to eat at least 3 times a day. If not, your body will go into a starving mode. This means it will burn less fat due to it want to conserve it for later, in case the starvation will worsen. Everything you'll eat, your body wants to conserve that calorie income to maintain those reserves.

    If you eat 3 times a day, your body will adapt to it. It has to digest food 3 times a day, which also cost energy (=burning fat). This '3 times a day meal thing' gives your body a continue energy flow, so it won't go in that starvation mode. Then it is effective to eat your 1400 goal of the day. If you do this, you'll lose more weight! Never go under the 1000 kcal!!!

    Further, you need to eat more healthy. Leave the sweets, donuts, pizza and other unhealthy products. Try to cook your own meals with fresh vegetables. Weigh everything your eat and log it all separate to your food diary. Do not forget the oil you'll bake in or the other small unnoticeable things you'll add. Everything comes with calories.

    Also, try not to drink soda. Those drinks have a lot of sugar. I, for example, only drink water and tea ( I really like tea). Those do not have any calories. Drink +/- 2 L a day to hydrate your body.

    I hope my advice will help you in your battle. Good luck with it and I realy hope you'll reach your goal

    so much wrong in this post…

    starvation mode is a myth..

    please disregard this advice….