Need to lose 150 pounds. Help?

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samdambrosio87
samdambrosio87 Posts: 12 Member
edited May 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm currently 285. I'm accurately logging my food, watching what I eat. I've been returning my macros to 30/30/40 to keep a balance and avoid fad dieting. I've increased my exercise, and I'm still gaining weight. I'm really sick of this and I need help from those of you who have experienced successful weight loss. I am in good health and have no mobility issues. I've been overweight for most of my life. I'm a 27 year old female. Thanks y'all.
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Replies

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    How are you accounting for your calories? Are you weighing your food to make sure you are eating in a deficit?
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    How long have you been at it?
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    Read this thread:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    And get a little food scale and weigh everything on it. You're probably eating more than you think you are.
  • samdambrosio87
    samdambrosio87 Posts: 12 Member
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    Yes. I am measuring. I've been doing it for a few months now consistently. I had maintained my weight at about 270 for about 5 years, and could sometimes lose about 10 pounds if I really try, but it never stays gone for long. But lately I've been gaining weight and had to buy new clothes to accommodate the mass increase.
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
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    Have you had your thyroid checked? If you are being honest with your food instake, sticking to your calories, weighing and portioning everything properly you should lose weight. If you've been doing all that consistently for months and not losing, then I think it's time to look at whether there might be something underlying that is hindering you.
  • lyeasley
    lyeasley Posts: 3 Member
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    I am a very large person too. I think our bodies learn to stabilize at a certain metabolism and plateau. Recently, I began to eat more meat and even though have done carbs too, have actually been losing!! I think the protein helps kick up my metabolism.
  • rebekahzinn1
    rebekahzinn1 Posts: 65 Member
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    How long have you been trying? If you just started increasing exercise, you will likely see a rise in weight due to water retention in your muscles. This is temporary and is not an increase in fat. How many calories are you eating? Have you consulted with a doctor?
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    It's great that you are exercising and watching your macros, it really is. But it won't help you lose weight unless you create a calorie deficit ie take in less than you burn off. And you can't know whether you have a deficit or not unless you are accurately counting both calories in and calories out. So - how are you counting the in and the out?
  • dalem48
    dalem48 Posts: 86 Member
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    You can do this!! I have lost 155# since February 2014.
  • samdambrosio87
    samdambrosio87 Posts: 12 Member
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    1000-1200 calories a day (I try to cycle/alternate so my body doesn't get use to one intake). I usually burn 1000-1200 calories a day. I started using a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps. I'm a nanny, so I'm moving all day as well. I try to do body weight exercises and my friend just introduced me to insanity, which I begin next week. I'm accurately counting, measuring, portioning.

    Perhaps you're right, I should get checked for thyroid issues. But I've never had an issue before.
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
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    I lost 40lbs a few years back. Try giving up bread and if you do eat grains and potatoes do it in the morning for breakfast and stick to protein and veggies at dinner. It made a big difference for me
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
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    You are either underlogging your food calories or overlogging your exercise calories. Not saying you are doing this on purpose either, its very easy to fudge the numbers by 20% over the course of an entire day, especially exercise cals, those are highly subjective.

    Your best bet is to keep dropping your calorie goal by 100-200 every week until you see the weight start to drop.
  • joemond
    joemond Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi. I would also suggest you get a good set of measuring cups (dry and liquid) and spoons. Stress can play a big factor in whether you gain or lose, and "where" you gain it (belly area). I joined MFP about 6 weeks ago, but didn't start recording anything til 2 weeks ago. I started at 270 and have as of today lost 18 lbs. I exercise 4-5 days a week, for as long as I can, and try to keep my calorie intake on point. I cut out carbs as much as I could, but wont deprive myself of a treat once in a while (had a hot fudge sundae yesterday). I should tell you, I'm not doing this alone, I am taking Relecore, as most of my weight is belly fat. I've noticed a big difference in the size of my belly these last 6 weeks. I'm not usually one for the "fad or supplement" diets, but a friend lost a great deal of weight and got me to try the Relecore. It works for me, maybe it will work for you. Good luck.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Can you open your diary? If you're accurately using a food scale to measure 1,200 calories a day, it's possible the entries you're using are inaccurate, or that you're missing something, like cooking oils.
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Do you know what your TDEE is? I lost 5lbs between Christmas and Easter, then I got a second food scale that goes in my handbag and I weigh EVERY THING that I eat. I've lost 5.5lbs in the last 3 weeks. I honestly believe failure to log correctly is the issue with most people lack of weigh loss.
  • samdambrosio87
    samdambrosio87 Posts: 12 Member
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    The only grains/bread I eat are low carb/high fiber wheat tortillas. I don't eat potatoes, rice, corn. I eat most my calories for breakfast and lunch, and my dinner is usually light. I try to break up my meals so I'm eating 5-6 times a day because it 3 solid meals a day definitely wasn't working. My metabolism is so slow, my food would not digest for hours when I ate 3 squares a day.
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 229 Member
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    try green tea at night after dinner or before bed to help with the metabolism. maybe you will have to cut out the tortillas. I dont know if you are eating a lot of fruit either. maybe have someone help you with a diet plan, I think that would benefit you most.
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
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    samdambrosio87 wrote: »
    1000-1200 calories a day (I try to cycle/alternate so my body doesn't get use to one intake). I usually burn 1000-1200 calories a day. I started using a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps. I'm a nanny, so I'm moving all day as well. I try to do body weight exercises and my friend just introduced me to insanity, which I begin next week. I'm accurately counting, measuring, portioning.

    Perhaps you're right, I should get checked for thyroid issues. But I've never had an issue before.

    You're consuming 1000-1200 calories a day and burning the same, so you're surviving on zero calories? Is that right?


  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    samdambrosio87 wrote: »
    1000-1200 calories a day (I try to cycle/alternate so my body doesn't get use to one intake). I usually burn 1000-1200 calories a day. I started using a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps. I'm a nanny, so I'm moving all day as well. I try to do body weight exercises and my friend just introduced me to insanity, which I begin next week. I'm accurately counting, measuring, portioning.

    Perhaps you're right, I should get checked for thyroid issues. But I've never had an issue before.

    I do believe that with a zero calorie net anyone would be losing weight. I would guess that you're overestimating your calorie burn...I would also guess that when you start doing Insanity, that won't be a problem anymore lol. It's a torcher of a workout. My advice is to keep meeting your macros daily, do not take your calories any lower than they are right now, and see what happens when you add Insanity to your routine. If it doesn't turn the scale around even with weighing and measuring, then it might be time to see a doctor.
  • MelWick524
    MelWick524 Posts: 215 Member
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    You are probably not in a true deficit, as others have said. I was doing it all wrong for awhile. I workout 5 days a week on average, so I originally had entered my activity level as "very active" ... AND I was still entering exercise calories and eating them back. Plus, MFP is notorious for SEVERELY overestimating calories burned for exercise. For example:

    When I enter that I'm "very active," MFP gives me a daily net allowance of 1,980cals/day to lose 2lbs per week. Plus, I was entering MORE exercise calories and eating them back. I was over-eating, but struggling to hit what MFP recommended, so I thought I was a "special snowflake" (a common MFP term, lol) who was struggling to get enough calories but was somehow managing to gain weight. Then, I started becoming active in the MFP Community forums. HOLY EDUCATIONAL WAKE-UP CALL!!!

    Now, I have myself set to "sedentary," with a much lower net allowance, and then on days that I purposely and purposefully exercise, I manually enter exercise calories as (my own personal rule) 25 calories for every 15 minutes of exercise. This way, if I inadvertently under-estimate calories in, I KNOW I'm not overestimating calories out. I eat all of those calories back that I "gave myself" for my "intentional exercise." (It's my own personal preference not to count and enter "steps," vacuuming, yard work, etc. but to each their own).

    I've been on the right track now and have lost 16 1/2 lbs in 11 weeks.

    A lot of people simplify it by entering that they're slightly active or very active and then they don't add back in extra exercise calories. This isn't the best for me, because, some weeks I get to workout like crazy, and then, depending on the husband, kid, and work happenings, the next week I might only fit in like 1 or 2 gym sessions.

    Good luck on your journey. You got this!

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