Can't get back on my game.

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JustSandra28
JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
edited October 2015 in Motivation and Support
Hi I'm Sandra. I have discovered fall and cooler weather is amplifying my sweets and carb cravings. I have lost 50.6 in 4 months, I go to the YMCA 6 days a week, but I've stalled out the last two weeks. Can't seem to keep carbs under 80. It's complex carbs like fruit and things like greek yogart and peanut butter but I know this is why I'm stalled...now I'm craving ice cream and sweets. Help me! Need to snap out of it. I have 85 pounds to go and want to be down another 40 by new years. Advice welcome

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  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Normally I advise moderation, but if that's difficult at the moment, remove the foods from the household until you feel okay enough to bring them back.

    However, I want to add that carbs are not the reason you are stalled. Doesn't quite work that way. Have you updated your caloric goals since losing the 40lbs? It's possible you are now eating more than you need.
  • rawlala
    rawlala Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi Sandra, I'm Latrice and I've been where you are before lots of times. I started my healthy lifestyle over 9 years ago and speaking from experience, motivation goes up and down all the time. Once I realized that, I didn't let those days (or weeks) of falling off the wagon get to me because I knew I would come back to the healthy lifestyle I chose. I guess my point is, you'll get back to your routine but don't beat yourself up for not being perfect.
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    mutatedpie wrote: »
    Normally I advise moderation, but if that's difficult at the moment, remove the foods from the household until you feel okay enough to bring them back.

    However, I want to add that carbs are not the reason you are stalled. Doesn't quite work that way. Have you updated your caloric goals since losing the 40lbs? It's possible you are now eating more than you need.

    Hi, no I haven't adjusted my calories. It was adjusting automatic but its been at 1200 for last month. Maybe I need to lower it??
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Don't lower it below 1200. That is the minimum calories a woman needs to have proper body functions. Everyone hits a plateau now and again. Be patient. Two weeks is a very, very short time to be "stalled". Keep doing what you're doing. The scale will move eventually, just not every time you want it to. You've done GREAT so far! Keep up the good work :smiley:
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    rawlala wrote: »
    Hi Sandra, I'm Latrice and I've been where you are before lots of times. I started my healthy lifestyle over 9 years ago and speaking from experience, motivation goes up and down all the time. Once I realized that, I didn't let those days (or weeks) of falling off the wagon get to me because I knew I would come back to the healthy lifestyle I chose. I guess my point is, you'll get back to your routine but don't beat yourself up for not being perfect.

    Hi, thank you! I have been beating myself up. And I get on the scale at the end of staying under calorie goal and not weight lost and I get down and its like hey might as well have carbs at dinner. Not losing anyway. I need to get my head back into it
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Don't lower it below 1200. That is the minimum calories a woman needs to have proper body functions. Everyone hits a plateau now and again. Be patient. Two weeks is a very, very short time to be "stalled". Keep doing what you're doing. The scale will move eventually, just not every time you want it to. You've done GREAT so far! Keep up the good work :smiley:

    I know I should not complain but it just seems like when it stalls I'm wasting my time. Like all the miles and hard work and passing on comfort foods was moot. Dumb way to look at it I know
  • 0utrun
    0utrun Posts: 71 Member
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    I've been here before. I can say this though, craving sweets is usually a sign of a vitamin deficiency. Up your magnesium, chromium and zinc intake. This might help you with those sweet cravings.
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thank you. Thanks a great suggestion!
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    JustSandra28 wrote: »
    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Don't lower it below 1200. That is the minimum calories a woman needs to have proper body functions. Everyone hits a plateau now and again. Be patient. Two weeks is a very, very short time to be "stalled". Keep doing what you're doing. The scale will move eventually, just not every time you want it to. You've done GREAT so far! Keep up the good work :smiley:

    I know I should not complain but it just seems like when it stalls I'm wasting my time. Like all the miles and hard work and passing on comfort foods was moot. Dumb way to look at it I know

    As it has been said, if you're eating at 1200, don't go any lower. But look at the weeks with a stall as still being healthy. The scale is just one form of health measurement (and not all that good of one). Are you measuring yourself? You may still be losing inches without lbs lost. It happens at times. Water weight can mask fat loss
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    Measuring once a month. I know I have been trying to build muscle and maybe that has something to do with it but can I still lose with carbs running in the 70-80s? Yogart and apple kicking my carb number all to hades. So to speak
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited October 2015
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    JustSandra28 wrote: »
    Measuring once a month. I know I have been trying to build muscle and maybe that has something to do with it but can I still lose with carbs running in the 70-80s? Yogart and apple kicking my carb number all to hades. So to speak

    Carbs don't make you gain or lose weight. Only a calorie deficit does. That's not to say that foods high in carbs are not high in calorie. But weightloss is all CICO. So don't stress about it too much. Just keep doing what you're doing, and it should continue eventually. Weightloss isn't linear, so some weeks you will lose, some you won't, and some you may even gain. It happens to all of us at some point.

    Edit: also want to add that you will not build muscle in a deficit. Strength training in a deficit helps with not losing too much lean muscle mass. To build muscle, you actually need to eat in a surplus.
  • tracoleman99
    tracoleman99 Posts: 51 Member
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    When you go through a lull, it's important to take a step back and reflect. Change your nutrition a little. Switch up your exercise routine. Throw in some yoga or stretching. Put together a new play list.

    I have been super hungry lately.

    http://traceyfit.blogspot.com/2015/10/cravings.html

    I write about how to deal with cravings here.

  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    That's awesome advice thank you! And I lived you blog. Especially the part about your peanut butter
  • JustSandra28
    JustSandra28 Posts: 11 Member
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    mutatedpie wrote: »
    JustSandra28 wrote: »
    Measuring once a month. I know I have been trying to build muscle and maybe that has something to do with it but can I still lose with carbs running in the 70-80s? Yogart and apple kicking my carb number all to hades. So to speak

    Carbs don't make you gain or lose weight. Only a calorie deficit does. That's not to say that foods high in carbs are not high in calorie. But weightloss is all CICO. So don't stress about it too much. Just keep doing what you're doing, and it should continue eventually. Weightloss isn't linear, so some weeks you will lose, some you won't, and some you may even gain. It happens to all of us at some point.

    Edit: also want to add that you will not build muscle in a deficit. Strength training in a deficit i helps with not losing too much lean muscle mass. To build muscle, you actually need to eat in a surplus.

    I think I should see a nutritionist maybe. It is alot to learn. I think I'm to the point it's getting harder. This is great info
    Keep it coming
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
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    JustSandra28 wrote: »
    mutatedpie wrote: »
    JustSandra28 wrote: »
    Measuring once a month. I know I have been trying to build muscle and maybe that has something to do with it but can I still lose with carbs running in the 70-80s? Yogart and apple kicking my carb number all to hades. So to speak

    Carbs don't make you gain or lose weight. Only a calorie deficit does. That's not to say that foods high in carbs are not high in calorie. But weightloss is all CICO. So don't stress about it too much. Just keep doing what you're doing, and it should continue eventually. Weightloss isn't linear, so some weeks you will lose, some you won't, and some you may even gain. It happens to all of us at some point.

    Edit: also want to add that you will not build muscle in a deficit. Strength training in a deficit i helps with not losing too much lean muscle mass. To build muscle, you actually need to eat in a surplus.

    I think I should see a nutritionist maybe. It is alot to learn. I think I'm to the point it's getting harder. This is great info
    Keep it coming

    I'm unfortunately on my phone, so I can't link anything, but definitely check out the stickies on the Getting Started forum. They might help you with some of the basic questions. We all have come on here to find that "rules" we are told are just not true. I believed that I had to eat small meals every 4 hours and I couldn't eat after 7. Learned the hard way that it's not true from the forums and scientific, peer reviewed, articles people often post here.

    Another thing that I don't think has come up yet, but is really important, is are you weighing your food with a digital scale? Measuring cups and serving sizes are horrendously inaccurate.

  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    @mutatedpie is correct about using a scale. Here is one "for instance": for lunches I'll sometimes eat a low fat chicken slices I buy from Super Store. The package says a serving size is 4 slices (85g). What that means is that the nutritional info is for 85g, NOT 4 slices; it means that 4 slices is APPROXIMATELY 85g. So, I weighed the 4 slices I was going to have on my salad. It was over 85g. I had to take off 1/3 of a slice to hit 85g.

    Moral of story: every little bit of "off", added up, equals LARGE offs. Being a bit off on low fat chicken is not huge, but being a bit off on a tablespoon of peanut butter, or mayo, or your meatballs, etc, will add up to not reaching your goals. And you'll be sitting there saying "but I measured everything and logged everything". But if you're not weighing (measuring cups are fine for liquids) your solids, I guarantee you're off, and that could be THE difference in reaching your goals.

    I've seen videos online where studies were done on this, and the one that sticks out to me showed a person was eating at least 300 extra calories a DAY. Go get a scale if you don't have one. If you do, and you're "stuck", then just give it time, because again, plateaus happen to every person. Patience is required.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Here is the video!
    https://youtu.be/JVjWPclrWVY

    And another online article:
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

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