Trying to lose 20 pounds!

alisha0506
alisha0506 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some serious help! I am 23 years old and I gained 20 pounds in the last 5 years since graduation. My goal is to lose that weight and trim down my stomach and thighs.

I've been exercising 6 days a week for about an hour each day, usually doing cardio on an elliptical machine, treadmill, stationary bike, or rowing machine. I've only been exercising for about a week and a half, but I haven't lost any weight or really seen any progress.

I've read that losing weight is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise. So, I've tried eating healthier as well. I cut out fast food completely at the end of December, I don't drink soda, I rarely drink energy drinks or coffee. My day usually looks like this:
~Honey Bunches of Oats cereal and lactose free fat free milk for breakfast
~Half a PB&J sandwich on wheat bread, one 6 oz. container of regular or low-fat yogurt, and either a hand-full of green grapes or a small apple for lunch
~A granola bar or 1 serving of wheat thins for a snack
~Dinner varies every night. We've had tacos, meatloaf, steak with veggies, and chicken with veggies recently

Like I said before, I haven't lost a single pound or seen any progress so far. I realize it can take time to see anything, but I've made some dramatic changes from my previous eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. I've heard that you usually see the most weight loss in your first week of dieting and exercising, so why haven't I seen any results?

Please help me! What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited February 2016
    Eating "healthier" is less important for weight loss than the number of calories you're eating. Are you logging your calories?

    Also, you've just been at this a week? I think a week is really early to conclude you're doing something wrong.
  • alisha0506
    alisha0506 Posts: 4 Member
    Yes I have been. I've been eating between 1,000-1,300 calories each day.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Eating "healthier" is less important for weight loss than the number of calories you're eating. Are you logging your calories?

    Also, you've just been at this a week? I think a week is really early to conclude you're doing something wrong.

    This. Peanut butter tends to be calorie dense, so even half a PB&J could actually be pretty high calorie.
  • MelissaDrees
    MelissaDrees Posts: 16 Member
    Check into your serving sizes. Portion out and weigh your meats. You will be surprised how much you are over eating. I have lost 3 pounds in my 20 pound journey not working out at all, just simply counting calories.

    Add me as a friend if you would like.

    Hope this helps!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    alisha0506 wrote: »
    Yes I have been. I've been eating between 1,000-1,300 calories each day.

    That's a really low calorie goal -- how did you reach it?

    Like I said above, a week is too early to conclude something is wrong. New exercise routines can lead to temporary water weight gain, so it's possible that you are retaining water. Or it could potentially be a logging issue -- I can't see your diary, so I'm not sure if you're logging everything accurately or not.
  • alisha0506
    alisha0506 Posts: 4 Member
    Do you have any easy recommendations for an alternative for lunch?
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
    well...many people want to fight the reality of logging/weighing and counting your calories, but its the only way i know to go. Not saying you are like that, but just to say that is the first place to start. Get yourself setup on the MFP app by loading in your body composition numbers, then start logging/weighing EVERYTHING you eat and hit your calorie goals for losing weight. as you said, eating is the key, but its eating at the correct calorie levels. don't sweat the good food bad food thing making this harder on yourself than it needs to be. get to the proper calorie level for weight loss :smiley:

    Best wishes!
  • amyleanne_
    amyleanne_ Posts: 3 Member
    Been drinking lemon water and honey water, and green tea occasionally, it stops cravings for food and feel better after it. Trying it out as a lot of people have said it helped with loosing weight along with a balanced diet of course :)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited February 2016
    janejellyroll wrote: »

    That's a really low calorie goal -- how did you reach it?

    Like I said above, a week is too early to conclude something is wrong. New exercise routines can lead to temporary water weight gain, so it's possible that you are retaining water. Or it could potentially be a logging issue -- I can't see your diary, so I'm not sure if you're logging everything accurately or not.

    This, at your age and with how much you say you exercise is a recipe for a crash and burn (if you actually are eating that low).

    Can you answer how you got to a 1000-1300 calorie goal? Is that gross or net.

    I would imagine that goal is somewhere around TDEE -60% for you with your exercise. That's not a good idea and not healthy.

    Try a 3 day sugar detox (I googled it). It helps kick start weight loss. That means no honey nut cereal, PB and J or granola bars though. :) replace with a handful of nuts or raw veg. Good luck B)

    seconded, this can be ignored.
    Been drinking lemon water and honey water, and green tea occasionally, it stops cravings for food and feel better after it. Trying it out as a lot of people have said it helped with loosing weight along with a balanced diet of course :)

    Same thing here, it might give you some tasty water but lemon water and green tea don't have any special weight loss magic in them.
  • pattibain
    pattibain Posts: 1 Member
    alisha0506 wrote: »
    Do you have any easy recommendations for an alternative for lunch?

    Oatmeal with sweeter and if you want it softer add more water after its cooked..no milk...it takes a bit getting used to but after a few days yiu won't mind no milk or brown sugar.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    pattibain wrote: »
    alisha0506 wrote: »
    Do you have any easy recommendations for an alternative for lunch?

    Oatmeal with sweeter and if you want it softer add more water after its cooked..no milk...it takes a bit getting used to but after a few days yiu won't mind no milk or brown sugar.

    OP's current lunch has protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Maybe not in the best ratio to fill her up (it's hard to tell without specific quantities for all the items). What is the benefit of replacing that with sweetened oatmeal?
  • Sarahb29
    Sarahb29 Posts: 952 Member
    Instead of a PB sandwich what about a big salad? Cobb salad, chicken ceasar, lots of options. I would be hungry only eating 1/2 a sandwich. I agree with others in that it will take longer to see results, especially if you only have 20lbs to lose.
  • rgbmore
    rgbmore Posts: 85 Member
    If you don't LOVE peanut butter and jelly, try to skip it or REALLY skimp on the peanut butter. It's amazing--my husband can make a 800 calorie peanut butter and jelly (two slices grandma sycamore's bread, a big knife full of chunky peanut butter and a good dollop of strawberry preserves)
    and I can make a 400 calorie sandwich. They don't fill me up and I don't feel like it's a good trade off for calories.

    You need longer than a week to see results, too, so don't be discouraged.

    As for lunch alternatives, I like deli (meat) sandwiches better--with avocado instead of mayo. Those fill me up more. :) You can throw on spinach and stuff in order to get your greens in.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
    First, I would say you are eating too little. 1000-1300 is not enough, especially if you are exercising for an hour a day.

    Also, are you properly measuring your food? Weighing the cereal you log, measuring the milk you pour in... or do you just pour them into a bowl and log a serving? Just pouring cereal and milk into a bowl can amount to hundreds more calories than you are logging. Do you measure how much peanut butter you use? Do you count all little bits that add up? Servings are usually much smaller than we think they are.
  • kristieshannon
    kristieshannon Posts: 160 Member
    My lunch today:
    3 oz deli ham (82 cals)
    2 mini babybel light cheese (100 cals)
    5 oz blueberries/raspberries (76 cals)
    3.5 oz cherry tomatoes w/ 1 tbsp light balsamic dressing (54 cals)
    Total 313 calories. Yummy, and very filling!
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    alisha0506 wrote: »
    Yes I have been. I've been eating between 1,000-1,300 calories each day.

    Sorry to say you are probably not logging accurately.

    Anything with liquid you need to use measuring cups.

    Anything solid you need to use a food scale. This includes things like peanut butter. (put the knife on the scale by itself, tare it to 0, then take your peanut butter and put it back on).

    Make sure you are using good entries. Don't use someone's generic sandwich/salad recipes, they have no applicability to the food you are eating. Add all your ingredients one by one.

    Do this for 21 days. If you have not lost weight after 21 days of logging accurately, see your doctor.

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