When you think you are doing everything right but not working, what did you change?

2

Replies

  • chatnel
    chatnel Posts: 688 Member
    Thank you this is very helpful. I thought there was something wrong with me good to know I am not alone. Frustruatly, when you ask for advise on here and you usually get "well you must not be logging your food correctly"
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited March 2015
    The things to eliminate first include poor logging and over reported exercise burns.
    The reality is that the majority of people that have issues with weight loss, once those elements are removed, fail to address the elephant in the room: their activity level.

    We try to address that by increasing exercise activity. Which is great but often enough not enough. 3-5 sessions a week of exercise is 900-1500 cals burned. Per week! But it's often difficult to ncrease beyond that because of time issues, or injury or stress - inflammation or hormonal response are counter productive to scale weight loss.

    The answer lies in lifestyle - moving from sedentary to active, focusing on LBM retention and increase may result in anywhere from 20% to 80% increase in cals consumed - that's 360 to 1200 more cals per day. Simply because we spend significant more time in non-exercise activity. Of course, changing general activity level is very hard. It's very difficult to change jobs if you spend 6 hours sitting, etc... But there is an easy way to evaluate and change habits.

    Short term: Try this, for two weeks, see if you still aren't seeing results.

    Set an alarm every hour and go for 5 minutes of walking.
    Or get a pedometer and make sure you walk your 10000 steps every day.
    Create strategies to do this - walk or bike to work. Use the car less, watch less TV, spend more time standing. Etc...

    Long term: take on resistant training of some sort. Every lb of LBM gained uses 9-21 cals per day at rest you get to multiply that by your activity level. And even in exercise.

    It's important to understand what "move more" really means.
  • chatnel
    chatnel Posts: 688 Member
    Good advice. I do wear a fitbit and have a desk job so sit on my a*rse for over 8 hours as well as driving to and from. If I do not go to gym I am lucky if I do 5K steps per day.
  • karen_fitzgibbon
    karen_fitzgibbon Posts: 736 Member
    I started weighing all of my foods. I was majorly underestimating my calories.
    Then I looked into the 5:2 diet thingie. In the last 4weeks I have lost 5kgs and 12cm. But it's also teaching me the difference between hungry and wanting to eat.
  • grace4u2receive
    grace4u2receive Posts: 333 Member
    Have you cleaned your body of toxins?

    "The liver is your body's filter, charged with neutralizing all sorts of substances from the waste products of everyday metabolism to the ever-increasing load of toxins in our air, water, food, cosmetics, and workplace.

    One of the most serious results of an overstressed or toxic liver is that it becomes so bogged down, it can't fully metabolize fat. As a result, it dumps fat and cholesterol back into the bloodstream, sabotaging your weight loss and putting you at risk for numerous health problems, including indigestion, fatigue, high cholesterol, depression, mood swings, lupus, arthritis, and other autoimmune conditions.

    A toxic liver also creates disastrous results for your skin, leaving you with a tendency to blotchy patches and rashes. Meanwhile, your colon - designed to eliminate both natural bodily wastes and toxins is likewise laboring under a double strain. An overworked colon means that toxins and bile (a crucial substance produced by the liver) can sit in your gut too long.

    Eventually, your body reabsorbs the toxins and sends them back to the liver once again. What's the point of struggling to manage our food intake if our organs are giving way under the strain of processing a toxic overload?"


    Quote taken from Ann Louise Gittleman's book, The Fast Track One Day Detox Diet

    I lost 6.4 pounds in 11 days, by changing what I ate to reboot my liver and get rid of the toxins. I no longer feel fatigued, no more brain fog and have tons of energy. Also helped get rid of stubborn fat and help push me to my goal and beyond!

    35813963.png

    An encouraging group for getting healthier and detoxing!

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/103019-revitalized-bodies
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited March 2015
    chatnel wrote: »
    Good advice. I do wear a fitbit and have a desk job so sit on my a*rse for over 8 hours as well as driving to and from. If I do not go to gym I am lucky if I do 5K steps per day.

    There you go. Changing that is more likely to result in long term results.

    Oh, and ignore the detox woo woo above.
  • CathReese33
    CathReese33 Posts: 112 Member
    I have gone back to weighing - EVERYTHING! It seems that even measuring is not accurate enough. Saved myself 400 calories today - this is often the difference between eating at maintenance or not
  • grace4u2receive
    grace4u2receive Posts: 333 Member
    [/quote]

    Oh, and ignore the detox woo woo above.
    [/quote]

    Why ignore it?

    Are people really afraid to eat healthier to drop pounds and feel amazing? So many diet pills, magic formulas (many are fraud). But to just change what you eat (food), drink and by taking care of your body. Your body releases those toxins through waste sounds pretty easy to me. We Spring clean our houses because we can see the dirt, just because we can't see inside of our bodies does not hide the fact that our bodies are toxic. Our bodies will hold onto the fat, since our livers are so bogged down.

    I can understand if I was giving weird information or telling you to starve yourself, but I am not. I have been on this fitness journey for two years and accomplished my goal. Wish I would have found detoxing at the beginning, to get the pounds off safely and so much quicker.

    My husband and I are doing one now! He was so excited when I went through a detox in December and lost 6.4 pounds. He does not workout much but began to see my results of how easy the weight came off. He wanted to do one too!

    In the January detox, he lost 6 pounds and this detox he has already lost 6 pounds in 5 days. We still have five more days to go! He was in the obese category and by losing weight through this detox he is now wanting to working out regularly! :D

    Just want to share the joy I found in taking care of our bodies. If your work them to hard you burn muscle instead of fat. If you do more rest based training along with a good detox. Watch those pounds melt away!

    Tons of information and encouragement for those wanting to get results in the Revitalized Bodies group shown on my other post!
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    Fairlieboy wrote: »
    Exercise is pretty much a waste of time.

    Not to divert from the original question but I have to interject. Exercise is not a waste of time. Being stronger, healthier, more flexible and lean is very much worth it. There are times that I get frustrated because I feel like my loss is less than I would like. Then, I take my measurements and realize the combination of weight loss and exercise is doing what it should.

    Now back to the original question, everyone has said it. Change it up. Did you see success and now that it has stalled you are afraid if you change your routine, it won't work? You don't know until you try. Maybe you are not eating enough for the amount of exercise you are doing. Maybe you're underestimating your calorie intake. Accurately log. Try a different workout routine. Look closer at your macros and see if your diet is too high in fats or carbs. Try replacing one processed carb a day by a whole grain or fresh fruit.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I lose weight really slowly and used to get really disheartened about it, so I just stopped obsessing over the scale. I lost 66lbs after my 2nd baby, and 10 inches off my waist, hips and thighs.

    I wasn't as strict with weighing and measuring then, yet I still lost. I'm now losing after my 3rd baby and much more strict. And guess what? I'm losing at exactly the same rate.

    So my advice? Don't stress over the scale, take measurements and go by the fit of clothes. If you're doing it right it will come off.
  • vanessafinalbattle
    vanessafinalbattle Posts: 16 Member
    I have asked myself this question many times. Then I realize oh I forgot that Friday night party with alcohol and endless eating.

    Most likely if your doing a decent exercise program and you believe your calories are on track but still not loosing weight your probably eating too much!

    It's a tough realization...but we all have to make it!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited March 2015

    Oh, and ignore the detox woo woo above.

    Why ignore it?

    Are people really afraid to eat healthier to drop pounds and feel amazing? So many diet pills, magic formulas (many are fraud). But to just change what you eat (food), drink and by taking care of your body. Your body releases those toxins through waste sounds pretty easy to me. We Spring clean our houses because we can see the dirt, just because we can't see inside of our bodies does not hide the fact that our bodies are toxic. Our bodies will hold onto the fat, since our livers are so bogged down.

    Logical inconsistency and call to fear. argumentum ad metum And spacious.

    I feal healthy, I have dropped pounds and feel great without the need of a detox.
    Your liver is not a house. Your body isn't toxic. The whole "your liver is bogged down and you need a detox" is hocum. Repeating it doesn't make it true.
    I can understand if I was giving weird information or telling you to starve yourself, but I am not. I have been on this fitness journey for two years and accomplished my goal. Wish I would have found detoxing at the beginning, to get the pounds off safely and so much quicker.

    It obviously has not made you more educated about nutrition or liver function. Detoxing does not add any "safety". It is just basically useless.
    My husband and I are doing one now! He was so excited when I went through a detox in December and lost 6.4 pounds. He does not workout much but began to see my results of how easy the weight came off. He wanted to do one too!

    In the January detox, he lost 6 pounds and this detox he has already lost 6 pounds in 5 days. We still have five more days to go! He was in the obese category and by losing weight through this detox he is now wanting to working out regularly! :D

    Just want to share the joy I found in taking care of our bodies. If your work them to hard you burn muscle instead of fat. If you do more rest based training along with a good detox. Watch those pounds melt away!

    Tons of information and encouragement for those wanting to get results in the Revitalized Bodies group shown on my other post!

    Of course one loses weight when you stop eating and go through one of these detox protocols - it's primary water weight based on glycogen store reduction. And you learn no good habits that you can use long term. Waste of time, and often money.

    And since you are claiming that working your body too hard burns muscle versus "rest based training & detox" I invite you to post a single published research study that demonstrates that. Or other proof that you consider of significant validity.

    Until then - it's all woo.
  • grace4u2receive
    grace4u2receive Posts: 333 Member
    Logical inconsistency and call to fear.

    Not fear, just reality. Glad you found a health utopia bubble to live in. For the rest of us, living with industrialized food, produce sprayed with chemicals and other pollutions in this world. We need to keep our bodies healthy.
    Of course one loses weight when you stop eating and go through one of these detox protocols - it's primary water weight based on glycogen store reduction. And you learn no good habits that you can use long term. Waste of time, and often money.

    Did you read what I wrote? Where did I state you stop eating? I didn't, but instead wrote, "I can understand if I was giving weird information or telling you to starve yourself, but I am not." I also wrote, "But to just change what you eat (food), drink and by taking care of your body." That my friend is a detox!
    And you learn no good habits that you can use long term. Waste of time, and often money.

    Eating good healthy food is not a waste of time or money. I have learned what foods to stay away from and which ones are better for me. Good lots of good habits to last a lifetime.

    There is a lot of research. Happy to share with those interested, but your not! Don't want to waste my time, for someone who doesn't care and doesn't even really read what was said.

    Good luck to you friend!
  • viciouslitany
    viciouslitany Posts: 187 Member
    I start being honest with myself about where I'm lacking. this week, I was not my best and it showed.
  • megsta91
    megsta91 Posts: 92 Member
    I was just here. The scale didn't move for 4 weeks. I was dropping inches.. Small amounts, but hey. To get the scale to move, I lowered my calories by 120 a day and started doing intervals on the treadmill to get that heart rate up. Boom, 4 week still broken in 5 days.
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
    Honestly... I don't change much of anything. I just make sure I'm logging everything accurately as possible and keep on keeping on. I know that the process is slow and that sometimes the scale is a b**ch. But I also know it can't hold out against a calorie deficit forever.
  • chatnel
    chatnel Posts: 688 Member
    Lately I have found my cutting down my wine consumption is making a difference.
  • karen_fitzgibbon
    karen_fitzgibbon Posts: 736 Member
    Bought a set of scales. Food scales. Oh and threw away my people scales.
  • pendii
    pendii Posts: 26 Member
    I think part of it is realizing that weight loss isn't a straight line. I weigh everyday life a crazy person. What I've noticed is that even during loss, my weight gotta up and down, up and down. It can get discouraging til you step back and see the forest from trees. If I stick with it, the zig zag of my weight will trend in a downward direction. So yeah. Step back and don't be hard on yourself for daily fluctuations.

    Also, your body is designed not to let go of weight easily. You will lose more slowly as time goes on. Patience. :smile:
  • Oldbitcollector
    Oldbitcollector Posts: 229 Member
    I was busting my *$$ in the gym for months..
    (Wasn't seeing weight changes, but my endurance was a little better.)

    Started tracking what I put in my mouth and started loosing weight the first week.
    Wish someone had clued me into this website the first day...
    52 days in of MFP tracking, and I'm already 21 pounds lighter.
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