Does anything truly work?
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I exercise so I can eat more. Log everything. Choose foods that are more filling. 1200 is probably too low. My diary is open if you want to read what I eat. Check out other people's diaries. I have 3 kids can't imagine how hard it is with 6 but remember you are setting an example for their lives. I never want my kids to struggle with weight like I do. I want them to enjoy their lives and be healthy. So I try to model eating to be fit and healthy.
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SergeantSausage wrote: »
uhhh what? You know what I am trying to say. Why do you have to be negative?0 -
SergeantSausage wrote: »
uhhh what? You know what I am trying to say. Why do you have to be negative?
He wasn't negative at all.
As I said, get off of 1200 calories.
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Eating less than you burn is guaranteed to work. For everyone. Forever.goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
What isn't guaranteed is that you'll carry it out. However, if you do it will work. It can't not work.
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I don't try to stay under the 1200 calories that MFP suggested, I just try not to go over. To answer your questions...no, I don't weigh my food. I will try that. I have a food scale. I did research the garcinia cambogia and there were a lot of people that said it helped them with cravings. Regardless, I appreciate all of the feedback. When I exercise and MFP adds those calories back to my daily allowance, should I use any of them? What does the term NET mean? And I think I know what calorie deficit means, but can someone tell me to be sure?
I do hope you will consider raising that 1200 calorie limit to something more sustainable, like 1500 for example. Yes, you should eat back exercise calories. Most of us don't eat all of them back. Some aim for 50%.
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Hi,
My name is Elizabeth. I have tried everything you can think of to lose weight. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, Adkins, Mediterranean, Advocare 24 Day Challenge, and logging my food here to stay within 1200 calories. It's so hard to stay under 1200 calories. I am a mother of six children ranging in age from 2 - 8, and although that isn't an excuse to eat unhealthy, it sure enough provides a ton of temptation with all of their cookies, chips, and carb-rich foods.
I am 5'4" and weigh 180lbs. I want to weigh around 150. I would be soooo happy with that weight. I exercise but not regularly enough. I like to swim, walk, and jog. I recently bought Garcinia Cambogia (not sure if that is spelled correctly) and I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone have anything negative or positive to say about it? Anyone have any suggestions for losing this weight once and for all?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
There is this great organization called The National Weight Control Registry ( http://www.nwcr.ws/ ) which tracks people who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off. They have compiled a list of statistics for what works and what doesn't. One of the interesting stats is that "45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program." In other words, every program (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, etc) works for some people but no one program works for everyone, and almost half of the people needed no program at all. The challenge is finding what works for you. One thing they are absolutely sure of is that there is no such thing as a magic pill, be it garcinia cambogia, hydroxycut, caffeine, etc. The only way to lose weight is to eat less than you burn.
Two other findings:- 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
You have to find the desire to lose within yourself and when you are ready, you will have the determination to lose. Anything else is smoke and mirrors.
Yes, eating less and moving more works:
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I have young kids, too... its amazing the healthy choices they'll make when I don't keep cookies/chips/junk in the house. We eat a lot of apples/other fruit, boiled eggs, string cheese, etc., and they are happy and healthy. It benefits us (parents) to not have it in the house and it benefits them in building healthy habits.
I also second eating as many calories as you can to still lose. I'm losing a lb a week on 1500-1800/day. I'm female, 5'7", and 30 lbs from my goal weight. It helped me to find out my TDEE and my BMR. I'm trying to make changes that I can live with forever. I can't maintain 1200 cals a day forever, but 1700? I can average that, I think.
Oh - and one more thing - I've been lifting heavy. I've never done that before, but I'm very satisfied thus far. I'm losing a little slower than I would if I was doing 100% cardio, but my results are showing faster and my workouts take less time. Its a great workout plan for a busy mom of young kids. I've been following the book The New Rules of Lifting for Women. I also run, which is a very efficient calorie burner. "Efficient" things really help me because I feel guilty working FT and then going to the gym when I want to spend that time with my kids.0 -
Gross calories would be the total calories you eat in a day. For example, let's say my gross calories are 1600. But now let's say that I swam for half an hour, giving me a 200 calorie burn. That makes my NET consumption 1400 calories. If 1400 calories is what MFP told me to consume in a day, then I'm right on track because MFP uses a net calorie system. The more I exercise, the more I get to eat.
By the way, we're about the same height, but I weigh nearly 60 pounds less than you and I can lose weight without any exercise at all eating 1400 calories. What did you put into MFP to get 1200 as your goal? If you're struggling to meet that goal, you aren't going to be able to stick with this. Why not recalculate making your goal 1 pound of loss a week and reflecting your activity level (for example, with young kids, I doubt you are sedentary). Log your exercise and eat the calories you earn (some people will tell you to eat 50-75% of those calories. I eat 100% and I'm fine. I think the accuracy has to do with what exercise you choose).0 -
Mezzie1024 wrote: »Gross calories would be the total calories you eat in a day. For example, let's say my gross calories are 1600. But now let's say that I swam for half an hour, giving me a 200 calorie burn. That makes my NET consumption 1400 calories. If 1400 calories is what MFP told me to consume in a day, then I'm right on track because MFP uses a net calorie system. The more I exercise, the more I get to eat.
By the way, we're about the same height, but I weigh nearly 60 pounds less than you and I can lose weight without any exercise at all eating 1400 calories. What did you put into MFP to get 1200 as your goal? If you're struggling to meet that goal, you aren't going to be able to stick with this. Why not recalculate making your goal 1 pound of loss a week and reflecting your activity level (for example, with young kids, I doubt you are sedentary). Log your exercise and eat the calories you earn (some people will tell you to eat 50-75% of those calories. I eat 100% and I'm fine. I think the accuracy has to do with what exercise you choose).
I think I put that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a weeks. I will check it out and see if I need to recalculate. Thanks for your help. You are right, I am not sedentary. I am constantly cleaning the house when I am not at work and playing with my kids. I take about 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week to dedicate to swimming, walking, or jogging.0 -
Mezzie1024 wrote: »Gross calories would be the total calories you eat in a day. For example, let's say my gross calories are 1600. But now let's say that I swam for half an hour, giving me a 200 calorie burn. That makes my NET consumption 1400 calories. If 1400 calories is what MFP told me to consume in a day, then I'm right on track because MFP uses a net calorie system. The more I exercise, the more I get to eat.
By the way, we're about the same height, but I weigh nearly 60 pounds less than you and I can lose weight without any exercise at all eating 1400 calories. What did you put into MFP to get 1200 as your goal? If you're struggling to meet that goal, you aren't going to be able to stick with this. Why not recalculate making your goal 1 pound of loss a week and reflecting your activity level (for example, with young kids, I doubt you are sedentary). Log your exercise and eat the calories you earn (some people will tell you to eat 50-75% of those calories. I eat 100% and I'm fine. I think the accuracy has to do with what exercise you choose).
I think I put that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a weeks. I will check it out and see if I need to recalculate. Thanks for your help. You are right, I am not sedentary. I am constantly cleaning the house when I am not at work and playing with my kids. I take about 30-45 minutes 3-4 times a week to dedicate to swimming, walking, or jogging.
You need to recalculate... set it to 0.5lb or 1lb loss per week.0 -
I have young kids, too... its amazing the healthy choices they'll make when I don't keep cookies/chips/junk in the house. We eat a lot of apples/other fruit, boiled eggs, string cheese, etc., and they are happy and healthy. It benefits us (parents) to not have it in the house and it benefits them in building healthy habits.
I also second eating as many calories as you can to still lose. I'm losing a lb a week on 1500-1800/day. I'm female, 5'7", and 30 lbs from my goal weight. It helped me to find out my TDEE and my BMR. I'm trying to make changes that I can live with forever. I can't maintain 1200 cals a day forever, but 1700? I can average that, I think.
Oh - and one more thing - I've been lifting heavy. I've never done that before, but I'm very satisfied thus far. I'm losing a little slower than I would if I was doing 100% cardio, but my results are showing faster and my workouts take less time. Its a great workout plan for a busy mom of young kids. I've been following the book The New Rules of Lifting for Women. I also run, which is a very efficient calorie burner. "Efficient" things really help me because I feel guilty working FT and then going to the gym when I want to spend that time with my kids.
We agree that offering young children healthy snack options is best. However, we do let them have chips or cookies on occasion. They are in the house because we shop for groceries two weeks at a time, and refresh the dairy and fresh produce as needed. I think I do pretty good at not touching them except days that I have exercised. I am gonna take a look at TDEE because I don't know what that is. I go to the YMCA with my husband and he goes straight to the weights, while I go straight to the pool. I haven't given weight lifting much of a chance.0 -
I did have MFP settings to lose 2 lbs a week. I changed it to 1lb a week and my calories went from 1200 to 1590. That is a lot more manageable. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.0
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It is tough losing weight, you have to be honest. I am a prime example. I enjoy running so run regularly. Around a year ago I joined My Fitness Pal, up until January I tracked everything I ate and drunk. I had set myself a target of losing 40 pounds, by Christmas I had lost 30 pounds. Then in January, I stopped tracking what I was eating and ran less. But I still managed a half marathon in March and ran my first full marathon in May. In fact I have run 1428 miles in the past 12 months. So he comes the crux, I have put on 20 pounds in weight since January. I took my eye off the ball and stopped tracking what I was consuming.0
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I echo all the advice to give yourself more calories. Think about it: you want the losses to be permanent. If you're hungry and gnashing your teeth to stay under a strict calorie limit, that ain't gonna last.
If you're still unhappy at 1590 calories, recalibrate to lose just .5/lb a week. Losing weight shouldn't be penance. Challenging, yes. You want to break free from old behaviors. But it doesn't need to feel like punishment.0 -
You have to find a way of eating that is sustainable. If whatever you are doing makes you miserable, you are unlikely to stick with it. You don't need to eat 1200 calories, and certainly shouldn't be under that if you are active. You don't have to cut any certain foods from your diet, but if you care about your health it would be wise to eat a balanced diet (balanced protein, fat and carbs). You can eat treats and sweets. You don't need to be hungry all the time. You don't have to eat a huge deficit and try to lose 30 lbs in 2 months. Relax and be patient.
All you need to do is eat less calories than you burn.0 -
At 5'4" and 180 you're going to lose on more than 1200. 1400, 1600, you name it. Heck, maybe even 1700. Have you calculated your TDEE?0
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Hi OP,
I was in a really similar situation as you - started at 180, goal was 150. Like you, I had been on every diet in existence, and none of them "worked." I went on my first diet when I was 10. At 35, I joined MFP. I'm going to tell you what worked for me.
1. Figure out what your TDEE would be at your goal weight and start eating that TODAY and plan to eat about that every day for the rest of your life, more or less. I didn't have all your starts (like age) but my guess based on the info you provided is that your TDEE is between 1800 and 2100 per day. Why don't you start at 2000 and see how it goes? This way, you are not "on" a diet that you will eventually go off. It's just the new way you eat - today, tomorrow, and forever.
2. Accept that it's going to take a very long time to get to your goal weight. The closer you get, the slower the loss. It might take a year. But, how long have you been fighting this weight battle? A year isn't really that long.
3. Eat enough protein. When I started on MFP I was eating about 50 grams a day and was starving all the time. Then I tried to up my consumption to 110 - 125 per day. It made a world of difference. I am much less hungry than I used to me.
4. Make sure you get enough fiber in your diet, preferably from food, not supplements. Fiber also helps slow digestion of food and help you feel full longer.
5. Get a food scale and weigh EVERYTHING. You will be surprised at how much you were overestimating portions. Seriously, I used to think I was really good at estimating, and I found I was over by almost 50% on some things.
6. Consider doing a progressive weight lifting program. This will help you retain muscle mass as you lose weight. It will make you much happier with your body, regardless of the number on the scale. It will also help you feel strong and powerful, which can translate to many other areas of your life. I think Stronglifts 5 X 5 is a great program for beginners.
7. Try to be kind to yourself. You have a lot going on. There are a lot of demands on you. Try not to let losing weight be one more of them.
Feel free to message me if you want to chat more! Good luck. You CAN do this.0 -
Hi OP,
I was in a really similar situation as you - started at 180, goal was 150. Like you, I had been on every diet in existence, and none of them "worked." I went on my first diet when I was 10. At 35, I joined MFP. I'm going to tell you what worked for me.
1. Figure out what your TDEE would be at your goal weight and start eating that TODAY and plan to eat about that every day for the rest of your life, more or less. I didn't have all your starts (like age) but my guess based on the info you provided is that your TDEE is between 1800 and 2100 per day. Why don't you start at 2000 and see how it goes? This way, you are not "on" a diet that you will eventually go off. It's just the new way you eat - today, tomorrow, and forever.
2. Accept that it's going to take a very long time to get to your goal weight. The closer you get, the slower the loss. It might take a year. But, how long have you been fighting this weight battle? A year isn't really that long.
3. Eat enough protein. When I started on MFP I was eating about 50 grams a day and was starving all the time. Then I tried to up my consumption to 110 - 125 per day. It made a world of difference. I am much less hungry than I used to me.
4. Make sure you get enough fiber in your diet, preferably from food, not supplements. Fiber also helps slow digestion of food and help you feel full longer.
5. Get a food scale and weigh EVERYTHING. You will be surprised at how much you were overestimating portions. Seriously, I used to think I was really good at estimating, and I found I was over by almost 50% on some things.
6. Consider doing a progressive weight lifting program. This will help you retain muscle mass as you lose weight. It will make you much happier with your body, regardless of the number on the scale. It will also help you feel strong and powerful, which can translate to many other areas of your life. I think Stronglifts 5 X 5 is a great program for beginners.
7. Try to be kind to yourself. You have a lot going on. There are a lot of demands on you. Try not to let losing weight be one more of them.
Feel free to message me if you want to chat more! Good luck. You CAN do this.
I love all of this advice.
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Hi,
My name is Elizabeth. I have tried everything you can think of to lose weight. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, Adkins, Mediterranean, Advocare 24 Day Challenge, and logging my food here to stay within 1200 calories. It's so hard to stay under 1200 calories. I am a mother of six children ranging in age from 2 - 8, and although that isn't an excuse to eat unhealthy, it sure enough provides a ton of temptation with all of their cookies, chips, and carb-rich foods.
I am 5'4" and weigh 180lbs. I want to weigh around 150. I would be soooo happy with that weight. I exercise but not regularly enough. I like to swim, walk, and jog. I recently bought Garcinia Cambogia (not sure if that is spelled correctly) and I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone have anything negative or positive to say about it? Anyone have any suggestions for losing this weight once and for all?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
You should eat at least 1200 calories. You can probably eat more than that. Set your activity level correctly and change your goal to losing 1 lb a week. Eat the calorie goal you are given. Eat enough protein, fats and fiber to help you feel satisfied. Eat a portion of the calories earned from exercise. Weigh/measure everything you consume and log as accurately as you can. If you aren't losing with 1200 calories you are eating more than you think or have a medical problem.
I am 41 years old, 5'4" and started at 179lbs. I am a sedentary person and set my initial goal to lose 1 lb per week. I was given a daily calorie goal of 1330 at that point. I lost weight and my calories got lowered to 1270. I decided I wasn't going to go lower than that amount and accepted that I would lose weight a little slower but more comfortably. After losing 24.5 lbs I changed my goal to losing .5 lbs a week and was given 1440 for my calorie goal. If you are fairly active you should be able to eat at least as much as sedentary me and still lose weight. Check your goals, check your logging.
I find pre-logging my whole days worth of food in the morning or the night before helps a lot.
Be patient. It works.
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