No matter what I do I can't lose weight

Options
ARTaa2015
ARTaa2015 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 19 and I've been on a diet since the age of about 12. I've always been fat. Just putting it out there. I'm 5'7 and I've now hit 85kg. That's the heaviest I've ever been. The thing is I'm vegan and I'm a good vegan. I don't eat junk. I stick to eating 2 portions of veg a day and I never eat dinner, I don't have the time for it. I only eat whole grains every other day and in a really tiny handful. And I work out twice a day. I cycle an hour a day in the morning and in the evening I do 40 minutes of tabatas. But no matter what I do I can't lose weight. My goal is to be about 63-65 kg. that's a good 20kg to lose and I don't know what to do. I've gained 14 pounds in 2 weeks and I don't know why. Btw It's not holiday weight gain because my holidays are just the same as every other day I don't do the whole Christmas meal etc. What do I do to get this weight to start shedding?
«13

Replies

  • Tobysgirl212
    Tobysgirl212 Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    Get a food scale and weigh and record everything you eat before you eat it. Do this for three days, keeping track with the MFP app. You will be astonished how many calories you are actually consuming. Then you can set goals from there.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Options
    Losing weight has nothing to do with what you eat and everything to do with how much. Plug your numbers into MFP and log every little thing you eat and drink. It's astonishingly easy to eat many, many more calories than you think you are.
  • flabassmcgee
    flabassmcgee Posts: 659 Member
    Options
    Are you eating enough?

    Are you weighing your food, using measuring cups/spoons or eyeballing it?

    Height, weight, general activity in a day other than exercise, age, weight?
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Options
    flabassmcgee wrote: »
    Are you eating enough?

    Are you weighing your food, using measuring cups/spoons or eyeballing it?

    Height, weight, general activity in a day other than exercise, age, weight?

    What do you mean are you eating enough?
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Options
    OP, you would be shocked how much you can over eat by when you think you are eating healthily.

    Plug your numbers in here and log for a week. It will show you how much you are actually consuming. Also don't eat back more than half of your calories burnt as they are normally over estimated.
  • Gilly130
    Gilly130 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    If your not eating enough your body goes into a starvation mode & will hold on to its fat stores resulting in no weight loss or or even a gain. The only real way to tell either way is to track each day on here .

    I gave a gastric band & have not been eating enough , I was only consuming 700-900 cal a day because can only eat very small meals & ive stayed same for months. Given on here 1300 a day I thought I'll never eat all that so have incorporated a high cal protein drink each day & whey behold the weights coming off. Weigh & track your food & you'll hopefully find your answer.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    Tobysgirl212 wrote: »
    Get a food scale and weigh and record everything you eat before you eat it. Do this for three days, keeping track with the MFP app. You will be astonished how many calories you are actually consuming. Then you can set goals from there.

    Solid advice.

    This would be my exact first step.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited January 2016
    Options
    Gilly130 wrote: »
    If your not eating enough your body goes into a starvation mode & will hold on to its fat stores resulting in no weight loss or or even a gain. The only real way to tell either way is to track each day on here .

    I gave a gastric band & have not been eating enough , I was only consuming 700-900 cal a day because can only eat very small meals & ive stayed same for months. Given on here 1300 a day I thought I'll never eat all that so have incorporated a high cal protein drink each day & whey behold the weights coming off. Weigh & track your food & you'll hopefully find your answer.

    No. Your body doesn't go into starvation mode. It's a myth.

    OP, as others have said, pick up a cheap food scale. Chances are you are eating or drinking more calories than you think.

  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    If you do some of the suggestions and still have issues I would make an appointment with a doctor, could be PCOS or thyroid.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Options
    There is the idea that because one is vegan you can't overeat---that is a myth. If you're not tracking accurately, you just don't know. Time to get that digital food scale and see how many calories you're really eating a day. I'd try it for 2 weeks and if you're always within your calorie goals, come back and we'll see what else it could be. Good luck.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    First go see a doctor and get a check up to make sure you don't have an health issue that would make you gain weight.

    Then buy a food scale and record EVERYTHING. You're probably eating/drinking more than you think (drinks have calories too).
  • 64heyjude
    64heyjude Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    It's true about the thyroid. I'm 69 and have been on thyroid meds. since my 20s. Talked to my new Dr. about my weight and told her I have never blamed my thyroid problem because I have always been on meds. You know what? The meds do not take care of everything the natural gland does, so yes I can blame some of it on that. She said I will always have trouble losing. Not good news, but it makes me feel a little better about myself.
    So please talk to a good Dr. And be sure to eat enough calories. I can't lose if I don't eat.
  • RobinFile
    RobinFile Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I agree with Red13 ..Plus I would cut simple sugars out of my diet. I too had problems loosing weight so for now I have cut ALL sugars and startches for a time and I have lost weight for the first time in...20 years! I even went on a 21 day fast last year thought I was going to die! and only lost ..3 lbs...that was depressing.. but since I got a new game plan I've gone from 235lbs to 217 lbs in 2 months! that was including holidays and birthdays..I have gained a few pounds back but due mostly to less exercise due to the weather.. lots of raing or too cold for me. I wish you the very best ..hoping you find the key to your results! stay in touch let us know how you are doing :)
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
    Options
    I Use a food scale... You will be SHOCKED to learn what a real serving size is. The fact that you are a vegan might actually make your journey a bit more challenging (not easier). It's very easy to get too many calories from a carb rich diet and they tend to not make you feel satiated for a long time. Try incorporating more beans in your diet. I used to mash my own black beans for a "refried beans". I'd use tortillas as holders for what was essentially a bean taco. Very satisfying and the beans digest slowly...


    Incidentally... Try giving up the cycling for running for a while... It's just WAY too easy to cheat " oh, I cycled for an hour... That's 1000 calories burnt... Cha ching". 90% of people cycle at a pace that is an equivalent to walking (200-300 calories an hour). Unless you are outdoors on your bike averaging 20+ mph... Guesstimate that you are burning 200-300 calories per hour. It's harder to cheat with running. Depending on your weight... You'll burn 125-150 calories per mile no matter your pace.
  • ARTaa2015
    ARTaa2015 Posts: 6 Member
    edited January 2016
    Options
    The thing is I already have a food scale. I'm incredibly obsessive with making sure I don't have too much. I eat no more than 1000 calories a day and I know many will say it's too low but I just can't have any more. Different people have suggested I may have a thyroid problem due to other factors but I'm far too scared to go to a doctor and have them telling me I'm obese. Like I know I'm fat I really don't need them to tell me I am too. Plus I don't drink anything other than water and oolong tea and hot water with lemon in the mornings. But I most definitely will log in with you guys after a week and we'll see what the scales say then. I have to go to the doctors on Wednesday too for a new patient checkup so they'll do the whole bmi thing etc and they'll ask about my medications so if I could have any tips so they could refer me to someone that can actually sort this please let me know. I just know that my gps(live in London) usually do nothing. Plus do I just ask to have my thyroid tested? Thanks for the responses btw :smile:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    ARTaa2015 wrote: »
    The thing is I already have a food scale. I'm incredibly obsessive with making sure I don't have too much. I eat no more than 1000 calories a day and I know many will say it's too low but I just can't have any more. Different people have suggested I may have a thyroid problem due to other factors but I'm far too scared to go to a doctor and have them telling me I'm obese. Like I know I'm fat I really don't need them to tell me I am too. Plus I don't drink anything other than water and oolong tea and hot water with lemon in the mornings

    If you measure everything accurately, and have still gained 14lbs in 2 weeks then you need to go to the doctor, scared or not.
  • Wombat468
    Wombat468 Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    It sounds like you need to go to the doctor, honestly.
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
    edited January 2016
    Options
    ARTaa2015 wrote: »
    The thing is I already have a food scale. I'm incredibly obsessive with making sure I don't have too much. I eat no more than 1000 calories a day and I know many will say it's too low but I just can't have any more. Different people have suggested I may have a thyroid problem due to other factors but I'm far too scared to go to a doctor and have them telling me I'm obese. Like I know I'm fat I really don't need them to tell me I am too. Plus I don't drink anything other than water and oolong tea and hot water with lemon in the mornings. But I most definitely will log in with you guys after a week and we'll see what the scales say then. I have to go to the doctors on Wednesday too for a new patient checkup so they'll do the whole bmi thing etc and they'll ask about my medications so if I could have any tips so they could refer me to someone that can actually sort this please let me know. I just know that my gps(live in London) usually do nothing. Plus do I just ask to have my thyroid tested? Thanks for the responses btw :smile:

    You may very well have a thyroid issue. However, 14 days times 1000 calories = 14000 calories / 3500 calories = 4 pounds of fat. So assuming your body burned absolutely nothing to keep you alive... Your fat gaining potential was at most 4 pounds in those two weeks if you measured everything precisely. I highly suspect, even with a thyroid issue, there are accuracy issues with your measuring.


    Any chance you have a sleep disorder like sleep walking? Do you think its possible you are sleep eating (this is a real thing).
  • s0600
    s0600 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    The secret is eating every 3 hours and nothing after 7 pm. at night. Try it!
  • GsKiki
    GsKiki Posts: 392 Member
    Options
    I would advise you to eat like you would normally do for the next week. The only difference being log everything you eat. Don't forget to weigh it before logging.
    After a week go over your meals and see if you are eating too much or too little. (If you eat too little your body is constantly preparing for starvation, so it stores all energy in form of fat.)
    It's all about calories in vs calories out, so you being a vegan did not make you fat, it's just your eating habits. You might be eating too much in those 2 meals, even if it's just veggies.
    Also, you should consider breaking your meals into 3 main ones, and 2 - 3 snacks.

    If after a week you see that you are eating normal amount of calories, I would consider checking your pituitary gland.

    Feel free to add me or message me if you need any help, tips or support :)

Categories