Getting so frustrated with no weight loss!

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Replies

  • BinaryFu
    BinaryFu Posts: 240 Member
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?
  • HutchA12
    HutchA12 Posts: 279 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?

    But cheese burgers aren't really that bad and can be filling as protein. Swap the bun for lettuce and I bet it drops down to 200 cals too. Then you could have two burgers as well. There isn't really any right or wrong foods some just are more nutrient dense. A mix of less dense and more dense food still works.
  • Jleigh225
    Jleigh225 Posts: 49 Member
    At 220 lbs, I dont suspect that 100-200 calories from logging not absolutely perfect is your problem. You've lost 25 lbs since January, thats amazing! It makes sense you may plateau here after almost 2 months of very consistent and quick losses. I would cut down your activity and stick to tracking accurately for a week or so. That should break your plateau and you can just get back on the very high amount of activity you are doing now. Making some changes to your routine can help shake things up for your body when you hit plateaus.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    SAFE weight loss = 2lbs per week. So you've had (roughly) 10 weeks and lost 25lbs = 2.5lbs per week, which is within tolerances.

    Now, this also begs the question - when you dropped 10lbs, did you readjust your goals in MFP? Every 10lbs you need to readjust your goals according to your *new* weight - otherwise, you'll wind up hitting a plateau eventually...kind of like you are now.

    I agree with this.

    Sometimes when your body loses the weight "too fast" it will stall for a week or two to catch up. If you've been targeting 2 lbs a week you might not lose any more until your body catches up to that average. Also sometimes your weight will just stall for a couple weeks for now reason. Then drop several pounds all at once. This thread is helpful: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1302805/weight-loss-is-not-linear

    But I also agree to get a scale. Since you aren't eating back exercise calories now you have more wiggle room but as you continue to lose weight you will have less, so it's important to get accurate with your logging as soon as possible. It also avoids false expectations.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?

    Why is a cheeseburger so bad? Is cheese bad on its own? What about ground beef and bread? Something about putting them together makes them bad somehow? I had one for dinner last night. It was really quite tasty, and very much worth it. If you don't find a cheeseburger worth the calories, don't eat them. Simple. I'll continue to enjoy them often. And I don't have to worry about "burning it off" because I burn calories just by existing. Plenty enough to fit a cheeseburger into my day, or pizza or ice cream or whatever I feel like eating.
  • BinaryFu
    BinaryFu Posts: 240 Member
    LoL! Guys guys, I'm not saying cheeseburgers are inherently bad - I'm saying eating them as your only source of food might be! :smiley:

    Heck, I enjoy my bun-less Angus burgers I cook at home with sauteed onions and salsa. :wink:

    I was simply pointing out that it's a calorie deficit, not what *type* of food you consume that equates to weight loss. He used cheeseburgers as an example sarcastically and I simply ran with that as a perfectly fine example. :smile:

    Weight loss = calorie deficit.
    Muscle building/toning = Workouts.
    Becoming healthy = Eating the *right* calories.
    Total transformation = All of the above.

    That's all I'm saying...don't hit me, I love cheeseburgers too! :blush:
  • AmyWebb2
    AmyWebb2 Posts: 69 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    AmyWebb2 wrote: »
    Thanks all for your help. I just ordered a food scale and hopefully that, in addition to eating some more green vegetables, will help. I'm also going to try to ramp up my walking and my bike riding. One of these days I'm going to lose more weight I can't put all this work in and get nothing out of it. It's just going to take more time than i thought. I guess I need to be more accurate and continue to work hard. sometimes though I wish that candy was the good food and carrots for the bad food.

    Weight loss doesn't come from hard work. It comes from willpower, portion control and accurate measuring of your intake vs. output.

    A toned body, muscle gain and improved endurance comes from hard work.

    I can burn 4,000 calories a day, but if I'm eating 300 calories more than I burn, I'm going to gain a pound a week.

    My nephew in the Navy just went through this. He started hardcore weight training (6 days a week) and he was really excited that he was gaining weight quickly.

    Until I pointed out that he was gaining weight due to him taking in 5,000 calories a day, not from strength training. The pudge around his middle was a clue.

    You haven't mentioned if you'd readjusted your weight goals after dropping 10lbs two different times. It's critical to do so. I can't stress that enough. That can be the difference between losing weight and maintaining right there.

    Yeah, I did adjust. It went to about 1360 calories. Gee, I thought what I had for intake before was small. Now, it's critically important I portion things correctly!
  • Rick_Nelson81
    Rick_Nelson81 Posts: 205 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?

    Ya, I guess you have a point, but I am talking about weight loss AND maintaining a healthy diet for long term health, something that is sustainable for the rest of your life. If my daily calorie goal is 2000, I can knock that out in a single meal, can't eat anything else all day, and ya I'm gonna feel like crap, and have to take some vitamin supplements to make up for the low-quality food. Sure you can replace your bun with lettuce or whatever, but now you're transitioning away from junk food and eating more healthy... I mean what's the point of losing all that weight if you're not gonna end up healthy, or feeling satisfied for that matter? Do whatever works for you.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    That's all I'm saying...don't hit me, I love cheeseburgers too! :blush:
    Get out the sticks! You riled the anti anti-burger peoples!

    @AmyWebb2 I forgot to correct my settings too, I thought MFP used to remind you every time you dropped below another 10 (maybe I didn't notice). Tighten up and keep an eye on things and you should see some results!

  • ilovefastcarstoo
    ilovefastcarstoo Posts: 115 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?


    That's exactly where I'm heading. I believe in everything in moderation. If I restrict myself too much I go crazy and eventually binge on all the things I deprived myself of. Eating is also very social. I don't want to completely give up social outings. Just know not to overdo it. Maybe work out more the next day or eat less. But I'm glad that calories in and out allow us to be able to eat what we want, if we want to of course.

  • sim_moore
    sim_moore Posts: 23 Member
    I suggest you underestimate your exercise (if you are loggin it) and over estimate your food slightly.. That's what I do to be sure.. Also check your measurements with a tape measure.. Perhaps with all the exercise you are adding muscle but reducing in size.. Too early to see big results but be patient.
  • therealhyper
    therealhyper Posts: 124 Member
    BinaryFu wrote: »
    Ya, there's no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight... Just log your cheeseburgers accurately and watch the weight fly off.

    Fact: If 2000 calories maintains your weight, 1700 calories will reduce your weight by 1lb a week.

    In theory, yes, it could be 1700 calories of cheeseburgers if you wanted. Are you going to feel well after a week of this? No. Definitely not. Are you going to lose 1lb? On average? Yes.

    So yes, accurately log your cheeseburgers and you *can* watch the weight fly off. You can have a horrible diet and still lose weight.

    But see, here's the thing that most people arrive at eventually: Poor food choices restrict how much you're able to eat.

    A DQ cheeseburger is 400 calories and it's not going to fill me up.

    My homemade chicken vegetable stew is 200 calories per serving and really tasty. So I can have TWO servings of really filling, tasty stew....or one lousy cheeseburger.

    Eventually, people gravitate towards healthy eating on their own, or they give up, because burning 400 calories to justify that poor choice cheeseburger just isn't worth it.

    So, sarcasm aside, your statement is correct - there *is* no reason to eat healthy if all you want to do is lose weight. There *is* a reason to eat healthy if you you want to *be* healthy *and* lose weight. See the difference there?

    Reading with great intrest !
  • BinaryFu
    BinaryFu Posts: 240 Member
    Afura wrote: »
    Get out the sticks! You riled the anti anti-burger peoples!

    Nooooo!!! (Flings tofu at the mob)
    That's exactly where I'm heading. I believe in everything in moderation. If I restrict myself too much I go crazy and eventually binge on all the things I deprived myself of. Eating is also very social. I don't want to completely give up social outings. Just know not to overdo it. Maybe work out more the next day or eat less. But I'm glad that calories in and out allow us to be able to eat what we want, if we want to of course.

    That's a great mindset to have - I hear so many people on here tell me (and others) "Hey, you didn't gain that weight overnight, it's going to take awhile to get rid of it too..." but when it comes to eating healthy? "RAW VEGGIES AND TOFU BURGERS STAT!!!"

    Well, to them I say, "I didn't stop eating healthy overnight. So it's going to take awhile to get rid of bad food choices too..."

    Having a daily calorie goal helps so much. Especially if you log your food either just before or right after eating. It really nails you when you go to log in a snack and see that now you'll only have 250c for dinner instead of 400c. In fact, yesterday it stopped me from having an extra poor choice snack, simply because I wasn't sure if I'd be eating out that night and I wanted to keep around 600c free in case there weren't any healthy choices open by the time I was done. So instead I had a small apple, which helped tide me over.

    Because of that, I had a light dinner when I got home and it helped me stay under my daily goal.

    I agree with Rick_Nelson81 - we should strive for healthy *and* weight loss at the same time and in fact, they really do go hand in hand. But if you're a junk food junkie, you *can't* just stop Cheetos cold turkey, or ice cream, or pasta even. You have to taper off and I feel the best way to do that is to stick to your daily goals for calorie intake.

    It gives you a limit and allows you to make the choices yourself. Do you really want 3.5 servings of Cheetos, or would you rather have a tuna salad with one serving of Cheetos? They're about the same, calorie-wise. One will allow you to mindlessly eat Cheetos for a half an hour and the other one will fill you up, satisfy you, give you great protein *and* will still allow you to enjoy a *sane* portion of Cheetos.

    I used Cheetos as an example because they are my Kryptonite. I have to constantly put the little bags of them in the checkout line BACK on the shelf, wondering what person slipped them into my basket in the first place! But, because of the method I've been using, I have snacks that have the same calorie count as one serving of Cheetos (tiny) and instead I get half a cup of yummy, salty, snack food that I can munch on for half the day if I want and not feel guilty.

    Is my alternative snack healthy? Eh. Is it healthier than Cheetos? Oh yeah. Big-time.

    One day at a time. One pound at a time. One healthy choice at a time.