Help! I'm desperate!

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13

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  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
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    Have you tried lifting weights? My weight has gone up a little bit, but I'm doing the PHUL lifting program (if you google it you'll find a website w/ the workout program plus videos that show you how to do the lifts if you don't understand). I've seen more progress and growth in the last 3 weeks than I have in the last 4 months. :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    JayRuby84 wrote: »
    Have you tried lifting weights? My weight has gone up a little bit, but I'm doing the PHUL lifting program (if you google it you'll find a website w/ the workout program plus videos that show you how to do the lifts if you don't understand). I've seen more progress and growth in the last 3 weeks than I have in the last 4 months. :)

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    This thread has links to a lot of good lifting programs, including PHUL (which is a great program).
  • chazznittt
    chazznittt Posts: 28 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Do you have any medical conditions?


    Side note. In the past 3 weeks, i saw 4 unlogged days. It's possible you are using up your deficit on those days.

    Also, in that year of dieting, have you taken any diet breaks?

    Sorry I've only just seen this!

    Yes I have hypothyroidism, endometriosis and vitamin d deficiency.

    I did take a couple of diet breaks but they were early last year.

    Are you on meds for the hypothyroidism?


    What is your exercise routine?

    Yes I am.

    I try to walk quite a bit.
    I do an hour Zumba class a week sometimes two.

    I go to the gym too, 1-3 times a week and spend roughly an hour to 90 mins in there.

    It may be beneficial to be more consistent with the gym to ensure higher calorie expenditure and logging your cheat meals. I have seen some people have more success with hypo by lowering carbs a bit more and increasing fats and getting the majority of carbs from veggies (this allows for greater volume). But more importantly, is not do cheat days, but log a day like any other.

    As you get smaller, you will naturally burn less calories, which requires you to be more precise. But if that doesn't work, rechecking medicine might help.

    Does that mean I should be going to the gym more? When I'm there I tend to not leave until I've burnt at least 500 calories.

    Do you think a diet break would be beneficial now?

    A diet break probably won't do you any good unless you need a mental break.


    Do you do any resistance training or just cardio machines?

    I think I do need a mental break to be honest I've been stressing over this for months and it's driving me insane!

    I would understand if I was already thin and only had a couple of pounds to lose but I still have a way to go! I have friends doing slimming world who started dieting the same time as me and have lost loads more than I have!

    Yeah I do cardio and weights in the gym.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Do you have any medical conditions?


    Side note. In the past 3 weeks, i saw 4 unlogged days. It's possible you are using up your deficit on those days.

    Also, in that year of dieting, have you taken any diet breaks?

    Sorry I've only just seen this!

    Yes I have hypothyroidism, endometriosis and vitamin d deficiency.

    I did take a couple of diet breaks but they were early last year.

    Are you on meds for the hypothyroidism?


    What is your exercise routine?

    Yes I am.

    I try to walk quite a bit.
    I do an hour Zumba class a week sometimes two.

    I go to the gym too, 1-3 times a week and spend roughly an hour to 90 mins in there.

    It may be beneficial to be more consistent with the gym to ensure higher calorie expenditure and logging your cheat meals. I have seen some people have more success with hypo by lowering carbs a bit more and increasing fats and getting the majority of carbs from veggies (this allows for greater volume). But more importantly, is not do cheat days, but log a day like any other.

    As you get smaller, you will naturally burn less calories, which requires you to be more precise. But if that doesn't work, rechecking medicine might help.

    Does that mean I should be going to the gym more? When I'm there I tend to not leave until I've burnt at least 500 calories.

    Do you think a diet break would be beneficial now?

    A diet break probably won't do you any good unless you need a mental break.


    Do you do any resistance training or just cardio machines?

    I think I do need a mental break to be honest I've been stressing over this for months and it's driving me insane!

    I would understand if I was already thin and only had a couple of pounds to lose but I still have a way to go! I have friends doing slimming world who started dieting the same time as me and have lost loads more than I have!

    Yeah I do cardio and weights in the gym.

    Medical conditions can create other issues that others don't have to deal with. So I wouldn't compare to another friend (I have to tell my wife the same thing all the time). The only person you need to compete against, is yourself.

    So take 2 weeks off from logging calories (I would still exercise) to clear your mind and then come back and work on being more precise. I would drop your cheat day, and if anything have a meal that you enjoy (but still log it) to ensure you are accurate. And then i would begin a structure lifting routine (see above list - a lot of women like StrongCurves and NROL4W) and concentrate on making progress in that. I have found, when I concentrate on making athletic improves, that the weight can follow. That is what I am doing the past few weeks. Calorie counting was just too much. So instead I am focusing on the types of food and ensuring adequate volume.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    I just want to reiterate the "cheat day" thing. I have logged Chinese meals and the like in the past and find that even if it's only dinner time, it can push the total day's intake as high as 3500-4000 cal.

    That can easily blow your week's deficit and put you at maintenance for that week,meaning you lose no weight.

    So I log meals out. If I really, desperately want to have a day off logging, I quick-add 4000 calories to make sure I'm aware of what I've done. It also acts as a disincentive to skip logging, because there's a good chance that if I do log, it'll be more like 3500.

    Stop having "cheat days", is my advice. Have lovely meals out or takeaways, by all means, but *log* it.
  • chazznittt
    chazznittt Posts: 28 Member
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    I just want to reiterate the "cheat day" thing. I have logged Chinese meals and the like in the past and find that even if it's only dinner time, it can push the total day's intake as high as 3500-4000 cal.

    That can easily blow your week's deficit and put you at maintenance for that week,meaning you lose no weight.

    So I log meals out. If I really, desperately want to have a day off logging, I quick-add 4000 calories to make sure I'm aware of what I've done. It also acts as a disincentive to skip logging, because there's a good chance that if I do log, it'll be more like 3500.

    Stop having "cheat days", is my advice. Have lovely meals out or takeaways, by all means, but *log* it.

    I've had cheat days every week since I started my diet back in Jan '15. But I suppose I do weight quite a bit less now and never really thought about burning less calories now I weigh less. I just expected it to keep going the rate It was. But I didn't expect it to just suddenly stop and not start again! Could you tell me how I work out if I have a deficit?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    I just want to reiterate the "cheat day" thing. I have logged Chinese meals and the like in the past and find that even if it's only dinner time, it can push the total day's intake as high as 3500-4000 cal.

    That can easily blow your week's deficit and put you at maintenance for that week,meaning you lose no weight.

    So I log meals out. If I really, desperately want to have a day off logging, I quick-add 4000 calories to make sure I'm aware of what I've done. It also acts as a disincentive to skip logging, because there's a good chance that if I do log, it'll be more like 3500.

    Stop having "cheat days", is my advice. Have lovely meals out or takeaways, by all means, but *log* it.

    I've had cheat days every week since I started my diet back in Jan '15. But I suppose I do weight quite a bit less now and never really thought about burning less calories now I weigh less. I just expected it to keep going the rate It was. But I didn't expect it to just suddenly stop and not start again! Could you tell me how I work out if I have a deficit?

    The most simple way to figure out calories is to eat a standard amount daily, track for 4 weeks and make an adjust from there. When I was calorie counting, I ate 2500 calories daily. After a month, I averaged 1 lb per loss. This told me my maintenance is 3000 calories.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    Day off? day off work or day off logging?

    Sorry, I mean like a cheat day.

    I think we found your problem. You should log those accurately to see how much you're eating. If you're taking a whole day you could very easily be undoing all your progress.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    chazznittt wrote: »
    Day off? day off work or day off logging?

    Sorry, I mean like a cheat day.

    They may be the cause of your problem losing. I'm not sure where this idea of cheat days when "dieting" comes from - possibly the body building community* but if you're struggling then this is the first thing I would ditch. Sorry.

    * The "epic cheat meals" that I've seen body builders eating tend to be after a competition or during a bulk. Body builders do tend to have strategic re-feeds during cuts but rest assured that these tend to be well controlled, are calorie and macro "esti-counted", and specifically designed to give the competitor a break from the lower carb diet and fill out carb depleted muscles. None of these options are applicable to dieters aiming to get to normal BMI.

    But, it's not all doom and gloom - you can enjoy your favourite foods in moderation on a regular basis, but you need to be smart and plan them in.

    I tried a few weeks without a cheat day and it still didn't make a difference though.

    A few weeks isn't a great measure. And are you sure it was "a few" weeks?
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    At 16 st with admitted 'cheat days' occurring more than weekly, I can easily surmise that the day of not logging had more than the restaurant meals you claim. There were other meals, snacks, candies, things you're not even admitting to yourself, which is a human ability. Log every thing every day. Yes, your kitty cat will howl from the pain of it. You already know that. Do it right, get better results.
  • 737jac737
    737jac737 Posts: 54 Member
    edited June 2016
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    One hour of cardio before your first meal every day. Wait, you eat fish, chips and chinese? AHAHAHAHAHA and you're complaining you can't lose weight? I'm not sure you understand honey. You need to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. There are no cheat days if you want to lose weight.
  • ummijaaz560
    ummijaaz560 Posts: 228 Member
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    I just want to reiterate the "cheat day" thing. I have logged Chinese meals and the like in the past and find that even if it's only dinner time, it can push the total day's intake as high as 3500-4000 cal.

    That can easily blow your week's deficit and put you at maintenance for that week,meaning you lose no weight.

    So I log meals out. If I really, desperately want to have a day off logging, I quick-add 4000 calories to make sure I'm aware of what I've done. It also acts as a disincentive to skip logging, because there's a good chance that if I do log, it'll be more like 3500.

    Stop having "cheat days", is my advice. Have lovely meals out or takeaways, by all means, but *log* it.

    I've had cheat days every week since I started my diet back in Jan '15. But I suppose I do weight quite a bit less now and never really thought about burning less calories now I weigh less. I just expected it to keep going the rate It was. But I didn't expect it to just suddenly stop and not start again! Could you tell me how I work out if I have a deficit?

    You've had "whole cheat days every week since JANUARY '15 and dont know why you're not losing weight?

    Come on now, you are eating whatever you like and not logging any of it once EVERY week?

    I could even understand a cheat meal, but these no holds bars eat whatever you want for a ENTIRE day meals are crazy.

    Especially added onto your hypothyroidism! Stop the "cheat days"! My mind is blown.

  • suzyjane1972
    suzyjane1972 Posts: 612 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Here's an eye opener.....WEIGH your fish and chips and add the calories.....its about 3000 cals minimum. 400g of chips is around 1000 calories.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Creating an echo chamber but your cheat days are likely your downfall. I eat fish and chips and Chinese food regularly but it turns out I'm not the volume eater I thought I was and I eat pretty small portions, even smaller now I've lost a bunch of weight but that's still a good 1000 calories at least for one meal. I can see other people easily eating double what I manage. Add in "full fat" fizzy drinks, chocolate or dessert, breakfast and lunch as normal and boom, no deficit left.

    You need to get honest with yourself. Have your cheat meals but they cannot be cheats any more, they need weighed and logged as best as you can, easier to do if it's take away meals of course.

    You've lost about the same as I have in the same time period, which averages to 1lb per week if I'm right? This shows how much of your earlier deficit you we were wiping out with cheat days because you thought you were eating about 1200 calories a day and at that level and your starting weight you should have lost a heck of a lot more at this point (not saying your losses aren't great, I'm in the slower the better camp, this is just a use of available data to assess issues).
  • michellemiler
    michellemiler Posts: 16 Member
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    managing weight is a tough job to be done,it requires patience and consistency, I am on weight management for long time and have made lots of sacrifices because a little ignorance can wipe off all the efforts you made, I am drinking warm water since I have started weight management, and using beyond weight tea along with my diet plans and work out.
  • chazznittt
    chazznittt Posts: 28 Member
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    At 16 st with admitted 'cheat days' occurring more than weekly, I can easily surmise that the day of not logging had more than the restaurant meals you claim. There were other meals, snacks, candies, things you're not even admitting to yourself, which is a human ability. Log every thing every day. Yes, your kitty cat will howl from the pain of it. You already know that. Do it right, get better results.

    I only have one cheat day a week.
    Yes it usually is more than just a meal.
    But I have been doing this since I started dieting and it wasn't having a bad effect until I stopped losing in January.
  • chazznittt
    chazznittt Posts: 28 Member
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    Creating an echo chamber but your cheat days are likely your downfall. I eat fish and chips and Chinese food regularly but it turns out I'm not the volume eater I thought I was and I eat pretty small portions, even smaller now I've lost a bunch of weight but that's still a good 1000 calories at least for one meal. I can see other people easily eating double what I manage. Add in "full fat" fizzy drinks, chocolate or dessert, breakfast and lunch as normal and boom, no deficit left.

    You need to get honest with yourself. Have your cheat meals but they cannot be cheats any more, they need weighed and logged as best as you can, easier to do if it's take away meals of course.

    You've lost about the same as I have in the same time period, which averages to 1lb per week if I'm right? This shows how much of your earlier deficit you we were wiping out with cheat days because you thought you were eating about 1200 calories a day and at that level and your starting weight you should have lost a heck of a lot more at this point (not saying your losses aren't great, I'm in the slower the better camp, this is just a use of available data to assess issues).

    Thank you, yeah it's starting to make sense now. I do and have been having a whole day of cheat food instead of just the one meal.

    Yeah I feel stupid now haha
  • chazznittt
    chazznittt Posts: 28 Member
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    Here's an eye opener.....WEIGH your fish and chips and add the calories.....its about 3000 cals minimum. 400g of chips is around 1000 calories.

    Really? That kind of puts me off wanting them haha
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    chazznittt wrote: »
    At 16 st with admitted 'cheat days' occurring more than weekly, I can easily surmise that the day of not logging had more than the restaurant meals you claim. There were other meals, snacks, candies, things you're not even admitting to yourself, which is a human ability. Log every thing every day. Yes, your kitty cat will howl from the pain of it. You already know that. Do it right, get better results.

    I only have one cheat day a week.
    Yes it usually is more than just a meal.
    But I have been doing this since I started dieting and it wasn't having a bad effect until I stopped losing in January.

    As you get closer to your goal weight, precision becomes more important. it's easier to lose when using less precise logging when your TDEE is 3200 than when it's 2200. I highly suggest logging everything, and cutting it back to one cheat MEAL per week (though log that meal as best as possible).