Help!!!
PLGlass131
Posts: 50 Member
In need of help with my weight loss. I have been eating low carb for about a year, and lost 35 lbs from it. I got off track from a few...several months, but have now been back doing good for about a month. When I first started low carbing last year, I would lose 4-5 lbs a week, but now I have been only losing 1 lb at most a week. I run/walk 3.1 miles a day, sometimes more, and only eat 20-30 nets carbs a day. I don't know what else to do:(
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@PLGlass131 the one pound a week can be idea rate of loss a year in.
Welcome to MFP forums.
I have been at it for 18 months and try to stay under 50 grams of carbs daily and I wish I was doing as well as you. I need to loose more weight but pain manage was my initial goal and it is well managed compared to pre LCHF days.
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How much weight do you have to lose? Weight loss tends to slow down the less we have left to lose, regardless of diet. A pound a week is really great for most people. Are you logging? What is your calorie intake like (LCHF isn't magic, you still need to create a deficit, it just makes it so much easier for most of us to create that deficit without going hungry)? Are you taking measurements (sometimes the scale doesn't accurately reflect what is going on)? You said you lost 35 lbs in a year - that's not 4-5 lbs a week, it's between a half a lb and a lb a week (average). When I first started I lost 6 lbs in the first two weeks, but that didn't last (much of that was water); I averaged 1 lb a week for the first four months, then a half pound per week for the next three until I got to goal. I guess my point is, you can't expect to lose 4-5 lbs a week on any diet, it simply isn't realistic. You might lose that much in the first week or two (maybe, depends on how much you have to lose), but that doesn't, and shouldn't, last.0
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When my weight loss started slowing after the first two months, I had to refine things even further. For example, something as simple as cutting out my Quest Cravings peanut Butter cups, which were only 7 g carbs, got me back to a higher rate of loss. Those artificial sugars can definitely stall weight loss. And things like stress, anxiety or illness can slow loss too. I just gained back 6 of my 45 lbs lost from stress alone, and am slowly chipping away at them, and I still have a lot of weight to lose.0
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@tlflag1620 I currently still have 85lb still to go. The first 35lbs I lost within like 3 months, but then i just maintained from there bc we were traveling a lot and i got off track a bit. There was times I only lost like 2lbs a week bc i wasn't being strict that week. I just started back recently. I track my calorie intake as much as my carb. I try to stay between 1000-1200 calories a day.0
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Ok... So you lost the first 35 at a rate of about three lbs per week, then maintained. With 85 to lose, you could lose 2 lbs a week reasonably, at least for a while (sorry I wasn't understanding your post). Between 1000 and 1200 cal per day strikes me as way too low, especially with your level of exercise. What is your fat intake like? Protein?0
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@tlflag1620 Going by my log, it looks like I average about 83g of fat and 77g of protien a day. I just recently got to where I get 1000-1200 calories a day. I was only eating 800 calories a day, and I know thats not healthy, but I wasn't hungry and stayed full. The last two weeks I have been trying to make sure what I cook is higher calorie. I forgot to mention I dont eat after 5pm either, but I do eat dinner, don't worry, it's just before 5pm.0
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Hmm.. Kinda stumped, lol. I do wonder if being soooo low cal isn't causing your body stress- cortisol negatively impacts weight loss. What does MFP set you calorie goal at for a two lb per week loss?0
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@tlflag1620 I updated it and it says:
Net Calories Consumed* / Day 1,550 Calories / Day
Carbs / Day 194.0 < not gonna happen eating low carb lol
Fat / Day 52.0 g
Protein / Day 78.0 g
I think I'm just over stressing myself about it, and am just frustrated. Where I work, everyone it "dieting", and I see people the same size as me losing a lot more than me, and I work way harder than them so it's frustrating.0 -
@PaleoInScotland Sorry, just saw your post. lol Yea I just told my husband I am gonna stop with the coffee, and switch to green tea with lemon in the mornings so I can get away from splenda, and the half&half. I read that too much dairy can affect it too, and being that I am not suppose to have dairy anyways that could be a big help. However, cheese is my weakness so I'll have to just monitor my intake of it.0
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Are you diabetic or prediabetic?
(If your carbs and/or proteins are high, and your insulin levels are up as a result, you will tend to store fat.)0 -
Ah yes, It's the grand experiment!
I'm averaging .5 to 1 pound loss a week and very happy because I don't feel hungry or feel I'm dieting. It's still slow and steady and it's still working. I am just eating healthier and found a new WOL, not a temporary diet where I starve myself and then end up putting it all back on when I resume my "normal' routine.
This is my new normal and it's a marathon not a sprint for me. Review your one month logs, which are recorded accurately. The following week, do the same thing, record, review, but just tweak one or two things. Like take out the soda this week, or choose a steak instead of meatballs with "just a little" red sauce. Record results at the end of the week. Repeat. It may be boring to eat the same things every week at first, but initially that's the only way I figured out what was giving me results and what doesn't.
Getting "off track" for a few months means something on eating Low-carb for year didn't work for you. Perhaps it wasn't LC-High Fat? I lost 40 in10 months, some weeks better than others, then it slowed down to .2 and .5 a week. I added in lifting weights and nautilus to the routine in addition to the cardio and eating better. It's making a difference in my clothing size, and I feel stronger and have more energy so that is a bonus that is not just scale related. If it's just about weight loss you may probably get discouraged, but if it's about having better looking skin, feeling strong, not having pain, not being tired, not being hungry, looking more fit in smaller sizes, losing a little bit-by-"bite" and keeping the weight off for life then you will feel happier about your own success and not compare yourself with other's quick losses. Keep at it and keep asking questions, with one month back at it there is still so much to uncover about what will work best for you. Welcome to the group!0 -
With walking or running 3 miles a day, I would really try to hit that 1200 calories. Your body probably just needs time to adjust and then the scale will start to move.0
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@PLGlass131 Try using the keto calculator for your macros instead of the one off of MFP.
MFP gives you macros for a standard american diet.
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
And as @deksgrl said, you should really try to hit that 1200 calories if you are running. Your body needs the fuel to do that kind of work.0 -
If 1550 cal/day represents a 500 cal/day deficit for you and you are only eating appx 1100 per day, you are running nearly a 1000 cal/day deficit. And that's not even counting exercise! I would say, first, that much of a deficit is not sustainable; you really ought to try to hit mfp's target most days (you don't necessarily need to eat back exercise calories though), at a minimum get 1200. Second, this is a marathon, not a sprint - if the goal is long term health and maintaining a healthy weight once you get there, doing very low calorie just isn't a good idea, even if it takes you longer to get to goal. Third, and this is important, don't compare yourself to those around you! Your work friends might be losing faster, but if they are drastically cutting calories or doing other unsustainable things, they will eventually go back to "normal" eating and gain their weight back; slow and steady wins the race! Especially if you want it to be permanent this time.
Be kind to yourself- eat enough calories, get enough fat, get in your exercise, get enough sleep, and be patient. You can try eliminating things like artificial sweeteners or dairy to see if that helps, but even if it doesn't, you are making progress (35 lbs down, and now losing about a lb a week is awesome, even if it doesn't seem like it to you
). Focus on the positives and keep at it! You can so do this! 0 -
@tlflag1620 Thank you for the encouraging words. It definitely lifted my mood for the day. Any ideas of low carb/higher calorie things to eat? I've have been searching all day to figure out things to add to my diet to help get my calories up.0
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If you could open your food diary we could maybe make some suggestions. But off the top of my head, butter, olive oil, bacon.....0
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@deksgrl Ya'll should be able to view it now....please dont think I'm a weirdo,but I go ahead log all my food for the day first thing in the morning so I dont stray from it. lol0
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PLGlass131 wrote: »@deksgrl Ya'll should be able to view it now....please dont think I'm a weirdo,but I go ahead log all my food for the day first thing in the morning so I dont stray from it. lol
I don't think that is a weird thing to do. I think it is smart! I do it as well for breakfast, lunch and my snacks because my day is spent at a desk and if I don't pre-plan/log, I get stuck on what to eat and where I work has very limited low carb options.0 -
Just on today, switch out 'I can't believe it's not butter" to actual butter and the half and half to heavy whipping cream.
Make sure your food is food and not "Not Food."0 -
I have a little more of a controversial approach to calorie deficit than most. So what I am about to say may be contradicted by a lot of other people, but if your deficit is as much as @tlflag1620 calculated, you should be losing weight, a lot of weight. The fact that you are not is to me more worrisome than the off chance that you are eating too little. Contrary to what most people seem to believe, eating too little will not make your body go into "starvation mode". It may affect your performance during your workouts causing you to burn a little less during those workouts, but the effect should be minimal. If you have excess fat on your body, it should be being used to make up for the deficit. The fact that you are not losing is perplexing.
Off the top of my head, there are two or three broad possibilities:
1. There are inaccuracies in the way you are weighing yourself. It should be at the same time of the day (preferably waking up after using the bathroom), with the same scale, in the same location, etc.
2. There are inaccuracies in you logging. Maybe errors in the database, errors in the amount (are you weighing your foods, etc.). Or incorrect use of an entry.
3. There is some medical reason you are not losing weight. Thyroid, etc. I'm not too clear on this one, but I know they exist. This is my main worry if 1 and 2 are not the cause.0 -
@moe0303 I typically weigh myself every Thursday right after using the bathroom majority of time. However, this morning I realize I hadn't done it until I had already eaten breakfast so it could have be a whole pound rather than .9lb. Not sure as far as the inaccuracies in logging. Sometimes the things I cook aren't always in there nor the nutrition listed with the recipe i followed, so I have to kinda guess and get as close as I can to getting it correct.0
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PLGlass131 wrote: »@moe0303 I typically weigh myself every Thursday right after using the bathroom majority of time. However, this morning I realize I hadn't done it until I had already eaten breakfast so it could have be a whole pound rather than .9lb. Not sure as far as the inaccuracies in logging. Sometimes the things I cook aren't always in there nor the nutrition listed with the recipe i followed, so I have to kinda guess and get as close as I can to getting it correct.
Use the recipe feature for things you cook. It's a great feature. I found out that I had been grossly underestimating some of my meals and over-estimating others.
Most women I know seem to fluctuate more than men do. This could be due to a lot of reasons, but a big one is water weight. What you eat will have an effect on how much water you retain for a period of time. It might be beneficial to get one of those weight apps like "happy scale" or "Libra". They will give you a moving average which could give you a better idea of your overall picture.
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My thought is that when you have 85 lbs to lose, even some inaccuracies in logging shouldn't slow you down too much (not like when you are only trying to lose those last few lbs where inaccuracies will halt progress altogether); with the deficit you are running even if you are off by, say, 300 cal per day, you should still be losing a couple lbs a week. I don't put much stock in starvation mode either, but hormones are powerful. Eating too little stresses your body, and stressing out about not losing fast enough will add to that. Definitely think about tightening logging (you can enter your own recipes, for example, then you don't have to "fudge it" as much), and if you haven't visited your GP in a while, book an appt and do some blood work. I also second the whole "eat real food, not food-like substances" approach.
As for ways to increase calories without carbs - real butter to cook with and on your veggies, using cheese, bacon, and/or cream to season lower fat meats (and opting for fattier cuts whenever you can - think chicken thighs rather than boneless breasts), rounding out salads with hard boiled eggs, avocado, seeds/nuts, and shredded cheeses, always using full fat versions of dressings and the like. Personally I avoid low carb bars or shakes- I stick with minimally processed food most of the time; in keeping with that I avoid making low carb versions of traditionally high carb foods, and just swap a bed of lettuce for taco fixin's, or have meatballs with a salad instead of pasta, put my lunchmeat on a salad or just eat deli meat and cheese roll ups, put pizza toppings on a portobello mushroom cap or roasted eggplant slices. I find the less I try to make LCHF resemble a conventional low fat diet, the better it works.0 -
tlflag1620 wrote: »My thought is that when you have 85 lbs to lose, even some inaccuracies in logging shouldn't slow you down too much (not like when you are only trying to lose those last few lbs where inaccuracies will halt progress altogether); with the deficit you are running even if you are off by, say, 300 cal per day, you should still be losing a couple lbs a week. I don't put much stock in starvation mode either, but hormones are powerful. Eating too little stresses your body, and stressing out about not losing fast enough will add to that. Definitely think about tightening logging (you can enter your own recipes, for example, then you don't have to "fudge it" as much), and if you haven't visited your GP in a while, book an appt and do some blood work. I also second the whole "eat real food, not food-like substances" approach.
As for ways to increase calories without carbs - real butter to cook with and on your veggies, using cheese, bacon, and/or cream to season lower fat meats (and opting for fattier cuts whenever you can - think chicken thighs rather than boneless breasts), rounding out salads with hard boiled eggs, avocado, seeds/nuts, and shredded cheeses, always using full fat versions of dressings and the like. Personally I avoid low carb bars or shakes- I stick with minimally processed food most of the time; in keeping with that I avoid making low carb versions of traditionally high carb foods, and just swap a bed of lettuce for taco fixin's, or have meatballs with a salad instead of pasta, put my lunchmeat on a salad or just eat deli meat and cheese roll ups, put pizza toppings on a portobello mushroom cap or roasted eggplant slices. I find the less I try to make LCHF resemble a conventional low fat diet, the better it works.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said, but I am also skeptical that hormones in a person without a medical condition could make up for such a deficit.
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@tlflag1620 I will definitely try to real butter thing. I mostly use if for cooking my eggs in and wasn't even sure if I am suppose to log it or not. lol I always forget to log that I take Benefiber in the morning as well, just to make sure I'm getting plenty of fiber. I spend most of my time trying to find new things to make, so my husband doesn't complain that we eat the same thing all the time. If I had it my way, we would eat cabbage and sausage everyday. lol0
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PLGlass131 wrote: »@deksgrl Ya'll should be able to view it now....please dont think I'm a weirdo,but I go ahead log all my food for the day first thing in the morning so I dont stray from it. lol
Personally, I think everyone is weird so it would be weird if you weren't...
I hope you don't sweat the scale too much. There is a lot going on when you switch over. I think it's been said a number of times that we look at eating like arithmetic but our bodies are doing calculus.0 -
tlflag1620 wrote: »My thought is that when you have 85 lbs to lose, even some inaccuracies in logging shouldn't slow you down too much (not like when you are only trying to lose those last few lbs where inaccuracies will halt progress altogether); with the deficit you are running even if you are off by, say, 300 cal per day, you should still be losing a couple lbs a week. I don't put much stock in starvation mode either, but hormones are powerful. Eating too little stresses your body, and stressing out about not losing fast enough will add to that. Definitely think about tightening logging (you can enter your own recipes, for example, then you don't have to "fudge it" as much), and if you haven't visited your GP in a while, book an appt and do some blood work. I also second the whole "eat real food, not food-like substances" approach.
As for ways to increase calories without carbs - real butter to cook with and on your veggies, using cheese, bacon, and/or cream to season lower fat meats (and opting for fattier cuts whenever you can - think chicken thighs rather than boneless breasts), rounding out salads with hard boiled eggs, avocado, seeds/nuts, and shredded cheeses, always using full fat versions of dressings and the like. Personally I avoid low carb bars or shakes- I stick with minimally processed food most of the time; in keeping with that I avoid making low carb versions of traditionally high carb foods, and just swap a bed of lettuce for taco fixin's, or have meatballs with a salad instead of pasta, put my lunchmeat on a salad or just eat deli meat and cheese roll ups, put pizza toppings on a portobello mushroom cap or roasted eggplant slices. I find the less I try to make LCHF resemble a conventional low fat diet, the better it works.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said, but I am also skeptical that hormones in a person without a medical condition could make up for such a deficit.
I always thought the same thing, until I read more about PCOS, its link to insulin resistance and many other hormonal things a lot of women can have without even realizing it. And the number of women who test in the "normal" range for thyroid when they are not really normal..... etc etc.
But yes, the OP should tighten up on logging to be sure of calorie intake.0 -
Yeah, I'm not very familiar with PCOS, but I understand it to be a medical condition. So stalled weightloss may be a potential symptom? I'm not sure.tlflag1620 wrote: »My thought is that when you have 85 lbs to lose, even some inaccuracies in logging shouldn't slow you down too much (not like when you are only trying to lose those last few lbs where inaccuracies will halt progress altogether); with the deficit you are running even if you are off by, say, 300 cal per day, you should still be losing a couple lbs a week. I don't put much stock in starvation mode either, but hormones are powerful. Eating too little stresses your body, and stressing out about not losing fast enough will add to that. Definitely think about tightening logging (you can enter your own recipes, for example, then you don't have to "fudge it" as much), and if you haven't visited your GP in a while, book an appt and do some blood work. I also second the whole "eat real food, not food-like substances" approach.
As for ways to increase calories without carbs - real butter to cook with and on your veggies, using cheese, bacon, and/or cream to season lower fat meats (and opting for fattier cuts whenever you can - think chicken thighs rather than boneless breasts), rounding out salads with hard boiled eggs, avocado, seeds/nuts, and shredded cheeses, always using full fat versions of dressings and the like. Personally I avoid low carb bars or shakes- I stick with minimally processed food most of the time; in keeping with that I avoid making low carb versions of traditionally high carb foods, and just swap a bed of lettuce for taco fixin's, or have meatballs with a salad instead of pasta, put my lunchmeat on a salad or just eat deli meat and cheese roll ups, put pizza toppings on a portobello mushroom cap or roasted eggplant slices. I find the less I try to make LCHF resemble a conventional low fat diet, the better it works.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said, but I am also skeptical that hormones in a person without a medical condition could make up for such a deficit.
I always thought the same thing, until I read more about PCOS, its link to insulin resistance and many other hormonal things a lot of women can have without even realizing it. And the number of women who test in the "normal" range for thyroid when they are not really normal..... etc etc.
But yes, the OP should tighten up on logging to be sure of calorie intake.
@PLGlass131 you said that you have been low carb, have you considered going high fat as well?0 -
DorkothyParker wrote: »Just on today, switch out 'I can't believe it's not butter" to actual butter and the half and half to heavy whipping cream.
Make sure your food is food and not "Not Food."
In addition to this, I would get rid of the PB&J bar and have something with more calories as a snack, like maybe nuts, sunflower seeds, hard boiled egg, etc.0 -
Yeah, I'm not very familiar with PCOS, but I understand it to be a medical condition. So stalled weightloss may be a potential symptom? I'm not sure.tlflag1620 wrote: »My thought is that when you have 85 lbs to lose, even some inaccuracies in logging shouldn't slow you down too much (not like when you are only trying to lose those last few lbs where inaccuracies will halt progress altogether); with the deficit you are running even if you are off by, say, 300 cal per day, you should still be losing a couple lbs a week. I don't put much stock in starvation mode either, but hormones are powerful. Eating too little stresses your body, and stressing out about not losing fast enough will add to that. Definitely think about tightening logging (you can enter your own recipes, for example, then you don't have to "fudge it" as much), and if you haven't visited your GP in a while, book an appt and do some blood work. I also second the whole "eat real food, not food-like substances" approach.
As for ways to increase calories without carbs - real butter to cook with and on your veggies, using cheese, bacon, and/or cream to season lower fat meats (and opting for fattier cuts whenever you can - think chicken thighs rather than boneless breasts), rounding out salads with hard boiled eggs, avocado, seeds/nuts, and shredded cheeses, always using full fat versions of dressings and the like. Personally I avoid low carb bars or shakes- I stick with minimally processed food most of the time; in keeping with that I avoid making low carb versions of traditionally high carb foods, and just swap a bed of lettuce for taco fixin's, or have meatballs with a salad instead of pasta, put my lunchmeat on a salad or just eat deli meat and cheese roll ups, put pizza toppings on a portobello mushroom cap or roasted eggplant slices. I find the less I try to make LCHF resemble a conventional low fat diet, the better it works.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said, but I am also skeptical that hormones in a person without a medical condition could make up for such a deficit.
I always thought the same thing, until I read more about PCOS, its link to insulin resistance and many other hormonal things a lot of women can have without even realizing it. And the number of women who test in the "normal" range for thyroid when they are not really normal..... etc etc.
But yes, the OP should tighten up on logging to be sure of calorie intake.
@PLGlass131 you said that you have been low carb, have you considered going high fat as well?
Definitely a medical condition, but often undiagnosed. It is linked to insulin resistance which definitely stalls weight loss.0
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