Weight Loss Help

ravendragonwing
ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been eating ~1200 cal a day since Dec. I have gained 10lbs (ugh). All my levels are normal (thyroid, electrolytes, etc). My cholesterol is a little high (219, with my good being 51) and my A1C is a little high this time (5.9, was 5.6 in May). I have a back injury that does not allow me to do much exercise (walking too much will send me to bed). I eat a salad most days for lunch and chicken and a vegetable for dinner most nights (vegs are bigger then the chicken). Just had my metabolic rate done and it is at 1600 calories at rest. I have measured all the utensils in my house and know how much I am eating. I also drink over 72oz of water a day. Can anyone help me figure out what else might be stopping my weight loss? Am tired of trying and am at my wits end....:(

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    How tall are you?

    There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
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  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I have measured all the utensils in my house and know how much I am eating. I also drink over 72oz of water a day. Can anyone help me figure out what else might be stopping my weight loss? Am tired of trying and am at my wits end....:(


    What do you mean by measuring the utensils in your house? Does this mean you're using measuring cups and spoons for your portions rather than a food scale? If so - that's probably part of your issue. You should be using a food scale for all solids - use the measuring cups and spoons for liquids only. Use accurate entries - no generic entries, no "homemade" entries unless you created them. Use the recipe builder. Your diary is locked so we can only provide generic advice but usually when one is gaining rather than losing it comes down to logging issues - you're eating more than you think.
  • ravendragonwing
    ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
    I am seeing a nutritionist and she took me through all of this, she is stumped as to why I have gained weight and not lost any.
  • ravendragonwing
    ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
    My stats: 5'5", 181.4lbs. I tend to overestimate my food rather then underestimate. For example, for lunch I have a salad, simple enough. I take 1 package of romaine lettuce and divide it up between 5 four cup bowls. I then divide up a medium cucumber and 1 bell pepper. I also divide up 1 package of ready to serve chicken into the 5 bowls (serving size is for 2 servings). I add 1 teaspoon each of raw pine nuts, roasted, not salted sunflower seeds, and roasted and salted pumpkin seeds. I add 1 tablespoon of light vinaigrette. I also eat an orange or apple.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I am seeing a nutritionist and she took me through all of this, she is stumped as to why I have gained weight and not lost any.

    Do you have regular cheat meals/cheat days?
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    If you're gaining weight and measuring your food with cups instead of a scale, you are eating more than you think you are. It is really almost always as simple as that.

    A cup of food will vary depending on the size of the food you are putting into it and how tightly you pack it.

    Buy and use a food scale. You will be amazed.
  • ravendragonwing
    ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
    edited August 2016
    I AM NOT BUYING A SCALE
  • ravendragonwing
    ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I am seeing a nutritionist and she took me through all of this, she is stumped as to why I have gained weight and not lost any.

    Do you have regular cheat meals/cheat days?
    Not regularly, once a month or so...and not too much cheat, usually
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I AM NOT BUYING A SALE

    I don't know why you're yelling, but calmly helping us to figure out how to help you -- along with giving us useful information like the fact that you aren't comfortable buying a food scale -- is going to get you much better advice than dodging questions, ignoring posts, and shouting down people trying to help you.

    Best of luck to anyone who sticks with this thread. I'm out.
  • pdm3547
    pdm3547 Posts: 1,057 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I AM NOT BUYING A SALE

    Why?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I AM NOT BUYING A SALE

    If you could even just use a food scale for a couple of weeks, it would show you where the problem is.

    If you aren't going to do that, and you can't exercise, then you need to eat less calories. If you open your diary, someone might be able to suggest food swaps or see entries you are using that aren't correct.

    If you are gaining weight, you are eating more calories than your body is burning.

    Best of luck and no need to yell, we are strangers and just trying to help you in our free time :drinker:
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    If you're measuring/weighing your food and still gaining, then you aren't doing it right. It's amazing how tightly you can pack in ice cream into 1/2 cup "serving". I would get every last little speck of ice cream into that cup - but if I was measuring lettuce - it was amazing how little lettuce could be measured into that cup to make a little look like a lot.

    Not to sound too much like Dr. Phil - but you gotta "get real" about what you're logging and how you're logging it vs. what you're really eating.

    You've heard the definition of insanity - right? Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

    If you want to lose weight, you're going to have to be a real stickler for logging in everything down to the condiments, and make changes to the types of food you're eating. A baked potato is healthier than French fries. Always. A piece of grilled chicken is healthier than fried chicken....Always. Can you still fit those in on occasion? Yes. But you have to be smart on how you do it - by focusing on the healthy lean proteins and not on the crap food that your body is addicted to - or at least mine is. (Total food addict here.).

    Focus on lean-healthy proteins, and the fats/carbs will take care of themselves, generally. Be very diligent on the types of food you're having and how you're logging them. And of course continue drinking water and doing things that will set you up for success, and you'll get there.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited August 2016
    I took a peek at your diary. Just some friendly suggestions:
    1. Lot's of unlogged or partially logged days. Log everything, every day until you can get back on track.
    2. I didn't see any beverages, any cooking liquids like oil or broth, no condiments. Do you not use any of these things, or are you just not logging them? There can be more calories in all those little teaspoons of and sips of than you would think.
    3. You are using lots of "generic" entries - these were entered by other users and are often incorrect. Try to include "raw" or "USDA" when searching as it will bring up more accurate entries to log with.
    4. You log 4 oz of chicken almost every day - is your serving of chicken the same size every single time? If you aren't weighing out, how are determining that?

    If you can tighten up your logging, even without a scale, I bet it will help.
  • ravendragonwing
    ravendragonwing Posts: 9 Member
    1. I sometimes travel and it is harder to log when in travel since one is eating out more.
    2. I do not usually eat condiments. I do log them when I do eat them. Does the oil you cook things in count? Like I pan fry my chicken in olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). I usually drink only water and sometimes strawberry infused tea.
    3. That is good to know. I try to scan the item when it is purchased to get the correct info. Harder to do when it is a produce.
    4. It is approximate, I am probably eating less.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited August 2016
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    1. I sometimes travel and it is harder to log when in travel since one is eating out more.
    2. I do not usually eat condiments. I do log them when I do eat them. Does the oil you cook things in count? Like I pan fry my chicken in olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). I usually drink only water and sometimes strawberry infused tea.
    3. That is good to know. I try to scan the item when it is purchased to get the correct info. Harder to do when it is a produce.
    4. It is approximate, I am probably eating less.

    Yes, oil counts and not only that, it has a lot of calories. A tablespoon of oil is 120 calories and a tablespoon is probably less than you use coating a pan with it.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    You're obviously a new strain of human being who does not go by the normal rules of fat loss and gain.

    Or maybe you're an alien. Try finding the version on MFP on your home planet.

    Or just log properly and consume less.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    I AM NOT BUYING A SCALE

    Okay - so either reduce your portions or continue to gain weight. You're eating more than you think and your inaccurate logging is the cause. If you don't want to log accurately then just eat less.
  • Trish1c
    Trish1c Posts: 550 Member
    You gained 10 pounds eating 1200 calories per day. Guess what . . .you are eating more then 1200 calories per day.

    I was resistant to the food scale too but snagged a good one cheap at the Sports Authority going out of business scale. I was truly shocked & somewhat horrified at how wrong I was in my approximations. Using the food scale gave me insights so now I am more confident in my guesses when I do eat out which is often.

    If what you have been doing isn't working & a 10 pound gain when you are trying to lose weight certainly isn't working, it's time to do something different, don't you think?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    If you're not losing weight or gaining, then you're eating more than you think. Simple as that.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Okay, if you're not logging cooking oil, you're not tracking possibly hundreds of calories a day, right there.

    The other thing I saw in a quick flip was an entry for 4 ounces of chicken that was only 100 calories. USDA on "Chicken breast, without skin, raw" is 124 calories, and I find entries variying from 120 to 180 depending on how "chicken" is being defined.

    If you're not weighing and you're using inaccurate entries for calorically dense foods, you're eating way more than you think you are, I think.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    I want to know in what world a 7-ounce pork chop is only 170 calories, too.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    ravendragonwing wrote: »
    1. I sometimes travel and it is harder to log when in travel since one is eating out more.
    2. I do not usually eat condiments. I do log them when I do eat them. Does the oil you cook things in count? Like I pan fry my chicken in olive oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). I usually drink only water and sometimes strawberry infused tea.
    3. That is good to know. I try to scan the item when it is purchased to get the correct info. Harder to do when it is a produce.
    4. It is approximate, I am probably eating less.

    When traveling, log higher on the calorie end. Pack snacks with you that you already know the amount of calories. Yes, count the oil. Unfortunately, if you aren't losing, your logging is not approximate and you aren't eating less than you think. You're eating more. You do not have to have a food scale to lose weight, but it is a major resource and makes things easier. I don't travel with my scale, don't take it to restaurants, it never leaves me kitchen counter. When I'm out at restaurants or a friends house, I just try to make an educated guess on the calories and then get back on track the next meal or next day. Good luck.
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