I'm so frustrated and disappointed!

I have been working out for 3 months. I'm always under my suggested calorie intake. My diet consists of yogurt, salads, fruit, tuna fish, etc. My body is firming up but I have not lost anything! I'm about to look into using Garinia Cambogia or weight loss pills. I'm sick of being fat! To look at me you'd think I sit and cram my face with potato chips and cheeseburgers but nothing could be further from the truth! I eat less than most thin people I know. What should I do?

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    This should get you started.

    ranfkizqwqzd.jpg
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    Garinia Cambogia or weight loss pills.
    Just to be clear, these things don't work.

    Look at the above flow chart. Good info to be had there.
  • kvhsmudge
    kvhsmudge Posts: 4 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(
  • kvhsmudge
    kvhsmudge Posts: 4 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    This should get you started.

    ranfkizqwqzd.jpg

    Thanks! I have a thyroid problem and take synthroid but the doctor always tells me it's at a normal level when he checks my tsh levels.
  • kvhsmudge
    kvhsmudge Posts: 4 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    Garinia Cambogia or weight loss pills.
    Just to be clear, these things don't work.

    Look at the above flow chart. Good info to be had there.

    Thanks.
  • bspringer544
    bspringer544 Posts: 155 Member
    Don't do weight loss pills. They're very expensive, don't work, and often have terrible side effects. If you feel as though you must try them, however, glucomannan doubles as a fiber supplement and supposed appetite control while green tea extract is believed to help burn fat. I would be cautious of the woo factor in both cases though.
  • sndrd49
    sndrd49 Posts: 234 Member
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(

    That can't be enough calories, especially on workout days. Your body will hold on to every calorie it can if your calories are too low. The hardest part for me has been accepting that I need to eat fat.....goes against everything I thought I knew about weight loss, but this is simple science and it works. Could you try eating all your calories for one week and see if that makes a difference?
  • quiarga
    quiarga Posts: 408 Member
    Don't eat margarine. Eat real butter. And eat more! What you listed is probably only like 300-400 calories. It's not enough for your body to work properly, and incredibly unhealthy to sustain long term.
  • 2012newbie
    2012newbie Posts: 88 Member
    Have you considered doing a low carb way of eating? It has worked better for me than any other way of eating on the planet. Just a suggestion, you might check it out. I use to do crazy things when I was young to lose weight, and it only ended up making me gain in the end. I wish I knew then what I know now. By the way, from your picture, if it is current, you are a beautiful young woman, and you don't look like you have a weight problem, just my two cents worth.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Buy yourself a food scale and follow the chart above. Re assess your calorie goal every 10 lbs and eat what you like. Just keep to your goal, not under and eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. MFP has accounted for your deficit in your basic calories and expects you to eat your exercise calories.

    There are no good or bad foods. Some are more nutritious; some are more calorie dense.

    Cheers, h.
  • ralu_isp
    ralu_isp Posts: 7 Member
    It sounds like you're not eating enough. Your body can't perform at it's full potential if you're not giving it what it needs. Deficits are good for days when you're not training but have you calculated your goals and your macros? Your body needs carbs to recover and fats to burn the fat. At the moment it's holding on tightly to all the stored fat because it knows it's not getting any. It will be difficult coming to terms with more food and it might seem like complete nonsense but you need more than that to be well. Read today's blog on macronutrients and make sure you calculate your goals!
  • acidosaur
    acidosaur Posts: 295 Member
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(

    That can't be enough calories, especially on workout days. Your body will hold on to every calorie it can if your calories are too low. The hardest part for me has been accepting that I need to eat fat.....goes against everything I thought I knew about weight loss, but this is simple science and it works. Could you try eating all your calories for one week and see if that makes a difference?

    This is false. Your body cannot "hold onto calories" if it is in a deficit. Otherwise no one would die during a famine.
  • Slivnfree
    Slivnfree Posts: 152 Member
    Ok So just look at the bigger picture. You stated your firming up. That is good. Your body firming up means inches lost. Have you tried measuring yourself? Are your clothes fitting better? You said your eating less, well are you sure your eating enough to begin with? Your body needs at least 1200+ calories a day to function properly. Depending on your height, size, and weight. Think of food as fuel...when you are hungry you need to eat. Good foods! Salad is good yes, but what about lean meats( protein) fruits and veggies great, but you need grains as well. Don't look at the clock and day I have to eat. Listen to your body. Pick high fiber and protein foods so your body will be fuller longer. And drink lots of water!

    I've been doing T25 for next week going on 4 weeks. I've on lost 3 lbs. However I've lost inches, I feel my strength improving, and my stamina has grown. I wish I've lost more, but honestly I'll take inches over weight anytime. Oh and muscle weights more then fat my friend so you might not see a loss until your muscles start to burn your fat.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    I have been working out for 3 months. I'm always under my suggested calorie intake. My diet consists of yogurt, salads, fruit, tuna fish, etc. My body is firming up but I have not lost anything! I'm about to look into using Garinia Cambogia or weight loss pills. I'm sick of being fat! To look at me you'd think I sit and cram my face with potato chips and cheeseburgers but nothing could be further from the truth! I eat less than most thin people I know. What should I do?

    How much weight do you have to lose?
  • Norma1468
    Norma1468 Posts: 22 Member
    Love all the info here! How can I print the flow chart?
  • sndrd49
    sndrd49 Posts: 234 Member
    acidosaur wrote: »
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(

    That can't be enough calories, especially on workout days. Your body will hold on to every calorie it can if your calories are too low. The hardest part for me has been accepting that I need to eat fat.....goes against everything I thought I knew about weight loss, but this is simple science and it works. Could you try eating all your calories for one week and see if that makes a difference?

    This is false. Your body cannot "hold onto calories" if it is in a deficit. Otherwise no one would die during a famine.

    It is not false. When you deprive yourself of essential nutrition, and only eating 3 to 400 calories a day is significant deprivation, your body will hold on to calories by lowering metabolism. Of course people can die of starvation in extreme cases, rather a ridiculous statement in the context of this discussion don't you think?
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    acidosaur wrote: »
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(

    That can't be enough calories, especially on workout days. Your body will hold on to every calorie it can if your calories are too low. The hardest part for me has been accepting that I need to eat fat.....goes against everything I thought I knew about weight loss, but this is simple science and it works. Could you try eating all your calories for one week and see if that makes a difference?

    This is false. Your body cannot "hold onto calories" if it is in a deficit. Otherwise no one would die during a famine.

    It is not false. When you deprive yourself of essential nutrition, and only eating 3 to 400 calories a day is significant deprivation, your body will hold on to calories by lowering metabolism. Of course people can die of starvation in extreme cases, rather a ridiculous statement in the context of this discussion don't you think?

    Then how would you explain all of the skeletal people in the WWII concentration camps and people in famine-plagued areas of the world? They didn't look fat to me.
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    If you eat very little your body will slow down somewhat and burn weight at a slower rate. But you'll still lose weight simply because your body continues to function whilst getting less energy than it needs.

    I eat less than most thin people I know. What should I do?

    Unless you shadow these thin people every second of their lives, you don't know that at all. What you should do is not compare yourself to others.
  • Blackdawn_70631
    Blackdawn_70631 Posts: 283 Member
    The weight loss pills don't really work. The biggest issue is that they're expensive, and when you stop taking them, you expand again cause that is what was holding your body in. Not you.
    I lost 50 pounds without pills and it took an entire year.
    The big hype is to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. No. You need to find a formula that works best for your body.
    For me, more protein and carbs and stop eating past 7 PM. Especially carbs. When I bumped up my carbs I dropped weight fast and started building muscle. The funny thing is, I eat more carbs than the average woman does. I eat 325 carbs per day.
    Figure that would make me fat, right? Nope. I got the reverse effect.
    Not saying for you to do that same. But it works to lose weight without pills.
    Have you spoke to a nutritionist?
  • holly_roman
    holly_roman Posts: 116 Member
    It actually is very true that your body holds onto fat cells when you eat too little calories and low macros but it doesn't hold onto these cells forever. Hence how ppl can starve to death. Just FYI most ppl who die during a famine or as someone else suggested concentration camps died over a longer period of time and they did eat, very little bits of food but they did eat; reason why they were skin and bones is they starved over a period of time. But getting back to the point, OP if that is all you are eating in one day you are eating WAY to little. You should be eating up to your BMR. Try eating that much every day for a couple weeks, and make sure you are accurate. You have nothing to lose by giving it a try. Also cut out the margarine, it is horrible for you. You probably need to up your protein too. Don't give up yet, you can do this. Give this a try for two weeks and see if you see a change. I wish you luck!
  • majigurl
    majigurl Posts: 660 Member
    when you eat too little your metabolism slows. Working out wont have as much of an impact as you would like or as it should. You WILL still drop weight, but you will have to work harder to get there. (not really by that much though.. )

    Take a look at your weekly intake of food. Eat right and not too little or else you can't workout as strong. Eat real food and proteins. Eat a good variety of food. Take this time to look at new foods you may not have tried before. Make it fun. Make eating fun, make working out fun.

    The scale is horrible also sometimes.
    You said you saw some changes in your body, but not from the scale. I wouldn't fret much. You are gaining muscle which will help you burn fat. yay muscles!

    Just don't eat too little. It took time to gain the weight, it takes even longer to drop it. boo.

  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    acidosaur wrote: »
    sndrd49 wrote: »
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Are you sure you are in a deficit?

    Yes, I'm sure. For example today's diet consisted of 1 apple, 2 pieces of wheat toast with margarine, and a salad.I doubt I'll eat anything else today. Plus, I did my usual 45 minute workout. :(

    That can't be enough calories, especially on workout days. Your body will hold on to every calorie it can if your calories are too low. The hardest part for me has been accepting that I need to eat fat.....goes against everything I thought I knew about weight loss, but this is simple science and it works. Could you try eating all your calories for one week and see if that makes a difference?

    This is false. Your body cannot "hold onto calories" if it is in a deficit. Otherwise no one would die during a famine.

    It is not false. When you deprive yourself of essential nutrition, and only eating 3 to 400 calories a day is significant deprivation, your body will hold on to calories by lowering metabolism. Of course people can die of starvation in extreme cases, rather a ridiculous statement in the context of this discussion don't you think?


    majigurl wrote: »
    when you eat too little your metabolism slows. Working out wont have as much of an impact as you would like or as it should. You WILL still drop weight, but you will have to work harder to get there. (not really by that much though.. )

    Take a look at your weekly intake of food. Eat right and not too little or else you can't workout as strong. Eat real food and proteins. Eat a good variety of food. Take this time to look at new foods you may not have tried before. Make it fun. Make eating fun, make working out fun.

    The scale is horrible also sometimes.
    You said you saw some changes in your body, but not from the scale. I wouldn't fret much. You are gaining muscle which will help you burn fat. yay muscles!

    Just don't eat too little. It took time to gain the weight, it takes even longer to drop it. boo.

    You both need to read up more on the Minnesota Starvation Experiment.

    Your metabolism does not 'slow' to any point where it would make much of a difference. Yes they temporarily saw someone with a BMR of say 1500 temporarily have a BMR of 1450 or something before the refeed. This is not enough to explain your 'eat more or you'll starve' nonsense. Also these were grown men on a very low calorie diet.
    kvhsmudge wrote: »
    I have been working out for 3 months. I'm always under my suggested calorie intake. My diet consists of yogurt, salads, fruit, tuna fish, etc. My body is firming up but I have not lost anything! I'm about to look into using Garinia Cambogia or weight loss pills. I'm sick of being fat! To look at me you'd think I sit and cram my face with potato chips and cheeseburgers but nothing could be further from the truth! I eat less than most thin people I know. What should I do?

    Nothing wrong with potato chips and cheeseburgers. I still eat them and lose weight. I think you are focusing too much on 'eating clean' on not on accurately logging what you are eating. If you aren't using cups/measuring spoons for ALL your liquid and a food scale for ALL your solids, you have no idea how much you are eating.

    Step 1 you need to tighten up your food logging. There are a couple of good BBC documentaries on women who thought they had slow metabolisms or thought they were eating a lot less than their thin friend who could 'eat anything'. Turns out they were eating way more than they thought and their thin friend wasn't really eating everything.