Would love some advice, need help to get back on track

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gleeky
gleeky Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,
Am new to the Forum!! Would love some advice and support.:flowerforyou:

I started to loose weight about Feb last year and took up running. I lost over 30 pounds but now I am stuck.:sad: I cannot get back on track. I try so hard for a week or 2. I log dilligently onto my fitness pal. I try to keep my food to around 1200 and exercise by running 30 mins 4-5 times a week, drink water etc but then when nothing is registered on the scales I get so disheartened and fall off the wagon.

For example two weeks ago I was delighted I had gotten down to 159lbs. I went away for a week on a training course did well on food and got as much exercise as i could in. Came home on Sat to find I had put on a lb. I got disheartened and now this morning I am 4lbs up again. This happens to me so much I try and try and see no results. I am wasting time as I wanted to be done with lsoing weight by the end of the summer. So I have a few questions to try and keep me on the straight and narrow. Please feel free to give advice or tell me what you think I should do.

I always try to stick to the 1200 even If I have burned more through exercise, should I use up my exercise calories? Some say eating too little can slow the weight loss down.

I run 30 mins a day which is about 5k 4 times a week. I am going to aim to do a half marathon which should increase my running time. Should this be enoguh or should i be doing more exercise to burn. My husband says that my body has gotten used to the 30 mins and I need to increase my effort. Is he right? I must add that I am very fit as a result of the running with good blood pressure.

I was going to try swimming as well, Is swimming for a half an hour good for weight loss?

I never ever loose through eating correctly alone I seem to have to exercise to loose anything. Is this my metabolism? Some friends loose weight with no exercise or just walking!!

I weight myself every morning should this stop? I like to/need to see results quickly!!

I try to cut carbs from one meal a day should i continue?



Please please help!! I would like to loose 15 - 20 lbs by the end of the summer and need to catch up on lost time!!:flowerforyou:

Thanks for reading

Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    Hi i can't see your diary Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



    Good luck on your journey
  • skinnyrache
    skinnyrache Posts: 33 Member
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    It can be crazy frustrating to not see the scale move in the right direction. It sounds like you've reached a plateau, which happens to everyone. Since you seem to follow a regular routine, your husband is most likely correct in saying your body has gotten used to the activity and diet. Time to switch things up! I would try tweaking your diet a bit, maybe eating back some of your exercise calories. Running is great, but I would add some strength training too. Doing strength training a couple days a week may provide the jump start to your metabolism that you need. Switching up your cardio now and then will help too. And if you are getting discouraged by what the scale says, take a break from it for a while! Try weighing yourself once or twice a week instead of every day and just focus on the new, fun exercises you are trying and how those make you feel, rather than what the scale says. In a few weeks you should be able to bust out of your plateau and make progress again. Good luck!
  • aneisiena
    aneisiena Posts: 63
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    The above responses said it best!

    I actually used to wake up and work out right away, but EATING beforehand made the biggest difference. Weird, but true. Food = fuel
  • gleeky
    gleeky Posts: 22
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    Hi skinny rache,
    Thanks for your speedy reply!!
    What do you mean by "eating back some of your exercise calories"? If for example I burn 300 exercise calories and hit my target of 1200 calories should I eat those 300 as well?
    Thanks again
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
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    A couple of responses

    I have heard that studies show that weighing yourself daily has a positive impact on weight loss because of seeing changes quickly and being able to do something about it that day, instead of after your weekly weigh in. Of course, you do need to keep in mind that 1-2 pound fluctuations are normal based on your time of the month, water retention, swollen muscles, etc.

    If you have done the same thing since the beginning to lose weight, maybe you need to change it up a bit. They say that your body becomes adjusted to workout routines, which is why it important to change it up. (i.e. instead of running the whole time, try fast walking mixed in w/ burst sprints...get your heart rate up, then slowly back down...then back up, then back down, etc.)

    Also, I just started testing the theory of keeping your heart rate in a set zone to increase body fat calories burned, as opposed to the quick carbs in the system. It was initially hard to keep my heart rate that low, now it is hard to get it up w/o running, which overshoots my goal zone (115-135 bpm). Do some online searches for target heart rate for weight loss. Maybe your heart rate is staying too high, since you are running, and you are doing cardiac improvement instead of weight loss.

    Hope this helps, good luck!
  • arwensb
    arwensb Posts: 275 Member
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    I agree with the ideas above about shaking up your exercise routine and adding in some strength.
    Also, it is possible that, although when you were out of town you did well on food and calories, there may have been more sodium than your body is used to in the food you were eating. That could have caused the 1lb gain - water retention.
    Hang in there!
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
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    sorry, wish that when you clicked on post from main screen that it would show what the responses so far has been :)
  • jojoworks
    jojoworks Posts: 315 Member
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    Hi,

    It would be easier to give advice if you could make your food diary public. Exercising is great and wonderful but it has been said that losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. It would also be helpful to know your starting weight, or what you weigh now. Sometimes you need to adjust your expectations and time lines depending on the amount of weight you need to lose. Notice I said NEED, not WANT. If you are at a weight that is already healthy or close to healthy it takes longer to lose and you may need to make adjustments to your goals.

    Losing weight is a process and not an event, so you may need to make mental adjustments as well. It may be helpful to regard this effort as a life-style change rather than a temporary, unsavory time that you get to abandon once the scale tells you it ok. Learning to eat well and to track what you eat to make sure you're sustaining your body in a healthy manner takes time and patience.

    Also, are you tracking your sodium? You really shouldn't eat more than 1,500 mg/day of sodium. Too much sodium and not drinking enough water can make a difference in your efforts.

    Also, as a runner, you should know you need to fuel your body sufficiently to sustain putting out all that energy. Make sure you are NETTING enough calories each day to keep yourself healthy.

    take care!
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
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    From what you said, IMO, I think you should eat more...at least half of your exercise calories. 1200 calories may be not enough in general...

    If you run the same course/intensity, etc all the time, your husband, is right...definitely need to change it up...add more resistance (where ankle weights, use more inclines, run faster).

    Just keep making the healthiest choices you can. And when you feel discouraged and want to give up REMEMBER how good you feel when you run and eat well.

    Hope this helps.
  • skinnyrache
    skinnyrache Posts: 33 Member
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    Hi skinny rache,
    Thanks for your speedy reply!!
    What do you mean by "eating back some of your exercise calories"? If for example I burn 300 exercise calories and hit my target of 1200 calories should I eat those 300 as well?
    Thanks again

    Yep, that is it exactly. Some people choose to only eat back half of the calories they burn through exercise, others do it all. Either way, thanks to the way MFP is set up, you should still have a calorie deficit and be able to lose. It may be that you aren't getting enough nutrition anymore, so your body is trying to compensate by hanging on to extra weight. By eating more your body will let go of the fat that it is holding on to. Just add extra healthy calories gradually and see if it makes a difference over the next couple of weeks.
  • gleeky
    gleeky Posts: 22
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    Thank you to all for the replies, I can't believe how quick it was!!

    I think i must try to change my exercise routine as suggested! It took me so long to be able to run for that amount of time without stopping that I like doing it and feel a sense of achievement each time.
    Korygilliam, I think you are right I have improved my fitness level and heart rate but need to start looking into weight loss exercise.

    Thank you again for all your speedy replies.:flowerforyou:
    I will let you know how I get on . I will be diligent about my diary too
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Eating back your exercise calories is exactly what it sounds like. You keep yourself at your set calorie deficit per day by eating your 1200 PLUS the calories you burn during exercise. I'd suggest not eating ALL of them just to be on the safe side and compensate for incorrect calorie reporting (MFP can be a little high for some exercises). A lot of people, including me, eat half of our exercise calories back.

    I always say, if you're stuck in the same place, it's time to do something different. I run intervals, 90 seconds running and 90 seconds walking because I'm just starting out. If you're already used to running a specific distance, try jogging for a set amount of time and then sprint for an equal amount of time. Intervals burn more fat than straight running. Adding in a different cardio routine and strength training are also very good ideas.
  • MrBrown72
    MrBrown72 Posts: 407 Member
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    Don't give into your inner infant and keep pushing on even when it whines. Giving up every couple of weeks will get you nowhere.

    Next, be progressive. If you've been doing 30 minutes 4 days a week try adding a day, or try adding another 15 minutes. It has to be about improving your health not just the way you look or just your weight. LIFESTYLE CHANGE is just that. This changes everything.

    You CAN do it if you want it badly enough.
  • gleeky
    gleeky Posts: 22
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    Don't give into your inner infant and keep pushing on even when it whines. Giving up every couple of weeks will get you nowhere
    :ohwell: :ohwell:

    I think that is what I have been doing I think I need to be stricter on myself!!

    Thank you again for all the replies, I will eat some of my exercise calories, do more interval running, try swiimming and strength training. :flowerforyou:
  • Starkle09
    Starkle09 Posts: 238 Member
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    just keep going....sometimes the scale is not ur friend. i would suggest changing up ur workouts and also taking measurements every few weeks and tracking ur progress that way. u may be losing fat and gaining muscle which could make the scale stay the same or even go up. best of luck to u and dont be discouraged
  • Mommyof3texans
    Mommyof3texans Posts: 347
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    From your post, it sounds like you aren't eating enough. I also run, usually 5k every other day. I currently have my goal set to 1300 and I almost always eat back my exercise calories, usually an extra 300 +/- on those days. At 1200, my losses were inconsistent and would plateau every couple of weeks. When I bumped up to 1300, I started losing consistently, I'm averaging over a pound a week now for the last 9 weeks!
  • gleeky
    gleeky Posts: 22
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    Thanks Mommyof3texans,
    I think you have hit the nail on the head. Like you at 1200 my losses are inconsistent and have plateaued. I thought I was being good by not eating the exercise calories and sticking to the 1200 cals so i will try to eat more! Isn't it mad to say that!! Eat more to loose weight!!!
    Thanks again for taking the time to reply

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