What can I do?! [Please be constructive:)]

beefluv86
beefluv86 Posts: 86 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on this weight loss journey since the 1st of the year. Just today I was told I have logged for 125 days. Problem being I have only lost 7 pounds. I have had some bad weeks I know but it seems like when I stay on track I sit in the same 2 pounds. Then when I have a " cheat weekend" where I treat myself and blow out my calorie goals and I wake up to a nice weight loss. I have changed my settings to lose 2, to lose 1, to lose 1.5. I have done 12 weeks of Weight Watchers. I know I could eat cleaner and exercise harder, but I would really just like to see some steady (even if slow) progress in the right direction. Is it time for me to see a doctor? Help! What can I do?! (My diary is now open for you to see my net calories, not to judge the foods I eat :flowerforyou: :blushing: )
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Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    If you're eating more and losing weight, perhaps you are eating too little on a regular basis? Are your calorie goals different when you set it for different pound/week goals? Are you exercising? If yes, are you eating some of your exercise calories back? Are you eating all of them back?

    Perhaps by looking at what you're doing we can figure out some different things for you to try that you haven't tried yet.

    ETA: I just took a really quick look at your diary, specifically at the calorie totals. You're over on calories many more days than you're under. I think that's probably the first place to focus.
  • yeabby
    yeabby Posts: 643 Member
    More fiber!!! That helps your body process what you're eating. :)
  • beefluv86
    beefluv86 Posts: 86 Member
    At 2lbs its 1200, at 1.5 its 1220, and at 1lb its 1500. I always eat back the majority of my exercise calories, if not all. I use an HRM so I believe my calorie burns are pretty accurate. I exercise some where between 2 and 4 times a week for 20-45 minutes. I know I could use some consistency but I figure that if even at my worst I am ziz-zagging my base maintenance calories so I should maintain the weight drops, not gain them back right?
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    You are right, you could eat cleaner. I'm trying to look at many days so I get a good idea of how you're doing. You seem to be over your fat goal every day. It's important to look at carbs, protein, and fat, not just calories. Not all calories are created equal. You will benefit from eating more protein and less fat and carbs. In my opinion, MFP sets their carb goal too high. You can change this in your goal settings. My ratio is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

    If you eat cleaner and get a good ratio of different types of calories, you should see better results. If you'd like to take a look at my diary, it's open.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I have know some people who just can't lose on too few calories, but when they increase their intake by 200-300 a day, they can lose quite well. Sounds like this might be you (especially since you lose when you have a cheat week). So maybe you can manually set your calories to 1600 a day or so and see how it goes.
  • RTricia
    RTricia Posts: 720
    okay.

    Work out hard.

    Eat clean.

    Relax.
  • dipsl19
    dipsl19 Posts: 317 Member
    try saving your workout calories, or only eating half. or, set a cap, like whatever calories you burn, you can eat them, but only until your intake hits 1500.
  • fionat29
    fionat29 Posts: 717 Member
    hi honey, I've been on this site for about 80 days now and lost about 16lbs. not a lot I know but it's been a steady weight loss.
    I really think if you keep to the calorie goals and exercise more, (and log the exercise) you really will lose weight. You have to weigh all your food so that you know you aren't overestimating stuff, believe me, it's really easy to do that!!!
    Just persevere, you'll do it if you want to.
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,115 Member
    It might help if you do not eat back your exercise calories. It was recommended to me by one of my friends because I was working my tail off and not seeing any change. I just started so I do not know if it actually works but it couldn't hurt. Also I had a tough time with my sodium intake. Its hard because everything has sodium but it makes you retain water which makes you weigh in heavier.
  • skypie02
    skypie02 Posts: 15
    Try to eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours. It helps boost your metabolism but depending on your caloric intake a day you need to decide what you calorie intake should be per meal. It will also help you feel less hungry so you will be less likely to cheat! :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    You seem to go over calories frequently and you eat a lot of processed fast foods. Perhaps more consistency would give you the results you are looking for? Prepare your foods at home using fresh ingredients, lean dairy and protein and whole grains whenever possible. Avoid consuming liquid calories, which are usually empty - like sweet tea and soda. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • kadoodle76
    kadoodle76 Posts: 234
    I think maybe you need to increase your exercise a bit or do it on more days per week and also by looking at your diary I see that it is not so much the amount of food you eat but the type. Try to add more fruits and vegetables to the day and less pre-packaged foods. I know it can be hard to afford fresh produce these days but it is worth the investment and you will probably feel better too. I have noticed eating fruits and veggies and nuts added in with my cheese and fried chicken indulgences that I feel much better. I also gain more weight the less I eat. I assume it is a metabolism thing. Eat small meals more often and that will keep your metabolism up and you will burn more calories. Good luck!
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    This is really not rocket science. It's about eating less and moving more. When people are not losing using the calorie goals set here by MFP, they are either underestimating the calories they consume or overestimating the calories they burn (or both). Plain and simple. Common ways to makes these errors is to:

    1) not MEASURE EVERYTHING that passes your lips
    2) guess on calorie burned during exercise or use the one-size-fits-all estimates from this or other websites

    I would recommend that you measure everything you eat (with a food scale and measuring cups/spoons) and invest in a good heart rate monitor to accurately measure your exercise calories. and if you have quite a bit of weight to lose, don't eat back all of your exercise calories..
  • _Sally_
    _Sally_ Posts: 514 Member
    It's not just the total calories. If your body is not getting the nutrition it needs you are still starving it. I highly recommend working in some fresh fruits and vegetables and you will start feeling better and start seeing more results. Good Luck!
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    are you sure portion sizes are accurate.When eating high fatty foods the smallest discrepancy in the portion can add much more than you realise you are eating.A portion of vegetables compared to a portion of cheese for example the difference is vast.Maybe if you were to weigh a few items to see if you guess accurately just an idea i found my breakfast cereal bowl contained 100 grams of fuit and fibre and i thought it was 30 grams lol
  • Artemis_Acorn
    Artemis_Acorn Posts: 836 Member
    First, I have to say congratulations on the 7 pounds. A lot of your friends would be very happy to be seven pounds lighter, and second, my hat is off to you for sticking with it even thought your results are a little discouraging. Perseverance is half the battle, and you haven't given up!

    You've been given lots of great advice by the other members about diet and exercise, and it never hurts to take a good honest look at how dedicated you are to that aspect of the program. There is nearly always somewhere we can improve.

    Your thought about going to see the doctor is not a bad idea, if nothing else to rule out some biological reason you're not getting the results you're expecting. There are lots of those possibilities. Print off some of your food/exercise diary when you go, so he can really see what you've been doing. You might consider asking for a referral to a nutritionist too - someone who can help you find those adjustments in your diet that will help you break through and achieve your goals.

    Stay strong!
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
    I know you don't want us to judge the foods you eat, but it's probably one of the problems. Hardee's, Chick-Fil-A, Pizza Hut, Wendy's...don't get me wrong, there are good choices to be had at these and other fast food restaurants--but only if you take advantage of them sparingly. Fast food (which really means incredibly processed food) does not fuel your body the way fresh food does. It contains much more sodium and much more fat that it ought to; it simply isn't good for you.

    I know that this can be a hard habit to break--because fast food is wonderfully convenient--but this is what I did in the beginning. I went without all fast food, sweets, cookies, cakes, whatever for thirty whole days. I considered it a sort of "detox" period, where I reset my body's cravings for all of these things. So for thirty days I didn't eat a single piece of chocolate or eat out anywhere. And you know, it really helped. I now eat out only when I absolutely have to (or when I have a "cheat meal", which occurs maybe once every two weeks), and it has made a world of difference in how I feel and how much weight I lose.

    Other than that, everything everyone else says is accurate--weigh and measure everything that you put in your mouth. Seriously. It is depressingly easy to underestimate what you're eating. More fruits and vegetables, too.

    A heart rate monitor for accurate calorie burn is also useful, but so far I've done without it (they're expensive). If your workout feels too easy, or if you're bored, or if you're not sweating as much as last week, kick it up a notch. So far it's worked for me.

    Good luck!
  • beefluv86
    beefluv86 Posts: 86 Member
    Thanks y'all. I am truly taking all of this in. I appreciate all of your suggestions, and will try to make the best of each one. :smile:
  • waterjogger
    waterjogger Posts: 114
    You seem to be drinking quite a few calories with Kool-Aid, Lemonade, and Sweet Tea. You could probably save yourself some calories if you switched to water. (It's really easy to drink up tons of calories and they don't really fill you up. ) Also, watch out for the fast food. It adds up quickly. If you're in a hurry maybe try a protein bar or something that's quick and easy and better than fast food. I had a chicken biscuit the other day and I was shocked at how many calories/fat/carbs were in it. Be careful of the little nibbles here and there-they can add up big time over the course of the day. Keep at it. You can do it!!!
  • coachligia
    coachligia Posts: 10 Member
    I don't know how much you weight, your height and age etc to know what your caloric intake should be, but it seems like you are eating enough if you are around 1500+++. I would say:

    - Be careful eating all your exercise extra calories, some HR monitors are not super accurate, and the reason for exercising is to burn extra calories so you are in a bigger deficit!

    - I would definitely say if you want to see an improvement you should raise the bar with exercise, and not only cardio. Strength training will cause you to have more lean muscles which then will raise your metabolism. Your body will need more energy to function! Also pay attention at intensity of workouts! I could help you with some options if you would like!

    - Another thing is the quality of the fuel (food) you are putting into your body. Some folks wonder why people on weight watchers drop weight..... It is because their point system is created around a balance among protein, carbs, fat, sugar etc. If for a snack you have a bar your body would definitely have less nutrients to absorb for fuel than if you had an apple and some nuts. A good way to clean it up a bit is to avoid:
    - sugar
    - simple carbs (white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc.)
    - alcohol
    - overly processed foods (if you buy something and look at ingredients and most of them sound foreign, that means that food has a lot of additives, things your body was not made to absorb)
    - eat complex carbs ( whole grains, fruits and vegetables)
    - Eat lean proteins (fish, chicken, bison, turkey, beans, tofu, yogurt, nuts, cottage cheese, etc)
    - Drink plenty of water, this way your body will not retain it. I know it sounds crazy, but when we eat salt our bodies need to dilute it, by drinking lots of water our bodies reach a balance and we eliminate water, when we are dehydrated, our bodies will hold on to the liquids for dear life. (bloated)
    - Eat 5/6 small meals a day, rather than just 3 big ones, this way your metabolism will be fired up the whole day.
    - Eat Breakfast!!! This way your metabolism is working full force since the time you get up!
    - Your biggest meals should be in the first part of the day and as the days goes get lighter. (you don't want to have a huge dinner, because most often we are not active enough to burn the calories off.)

    Don't get discouraged, I know that when you feel like you are putting in the work and not seeing the results you want the feeling of "what's the point" kick in. But sometimes we just have to take time to sit down and evaluate what we have been doing. I have lost 106 pounds and had to sit down and re-evaluate my routine, b/c it's getting harder to see results. Sometimes we just need to step out of our comfort zone for a bit and try something different to see the changes again!

    I know you CAN do this! If you ever need any help my email is coachligia@gmail.com
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