Help! A little confused and frustrated!
Replies
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VintageFeline wrote: »Also worth noting, if you are consistently eating under your goal and getting a reasonable amount of walking in, cortisol could be masking losses at this point. The body will be stressed from the undereating.
But also to add, I mostly lose in whooshes. Stall. Whoosh. Stall. Whoosh.
That made me laugh, thanks! Kinda stressed out!!!0 -
How's your stress? Have you measured rather than just relying on the scale?1
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I strive to avoid user-created entries in the database as much as possible so look up new foods in the USDA database and plug that syntax into MFP. Once I've added the food it remains in Recent.
Brussel Sprouts - Brussels Sprouts, Cooked is a user created entry. You want something along the lines of Brussels sprouts, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt
USDA database
MFP
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »One thing that many people don't realize: 4 liquid ounces which is 1/2 cup is not the same thing as 4 ounces by weight. You can weigh in ounces but would want to log it as 4 ounces by weight. Grams are more precise because there are 28 grams in an ounce. You might round something off as .5 ounces, and it could be 10 grams or 14 grams or 18 grams.I scan most things that can scan when adding to my diary and I bought a digital scale, but had it on ounces! I upped the walk to 60 minutes, but on snowy, really cold days (like yesterday) I only walked 35 minutes.
Why on earth did anyone ever think it was a good idea to use the word "ounce" as a measure of weight and volume? Plenty of people get messed up based on that.4 -
Have you considered expanding your exercise routine? You COULD be eating more and still losing in a year from now by increasing your lean mass (i.e., muscle).
I'm a big fan of dropping the low intensity steady state exercise (walking) and replacing it with a solid weight lifting program and interval cardio 3-4 times a week.1 -
Hazelrific wrote: »How's your stress? Have you measured rather than just relying on the scale?
My stress is usually high, unfortunately
But that is why I enjoy outdoor walking. It helps clear the mind. Im not a fan of exercise. Weights, gym, videos, etc. I wish I loved it like some people do...
But w that said, I started walking and I love that, and therefore keeps me doing it. Maybe add weights while I walk, light 5 lb ones, that may work. Idk!
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Hazelrific wrote: »How's your stress? Have you measured rather than just relying on the scale?
My stress is usually high, unfortunately But that is why I enjoy outdoor walking. It helps clear the mind. Im not a fan of exercise. Weights, gym, videos, etc. I wish I loved it like some people do...
But w that said, I started walking and I love that, and therefore keeps me doing it. Maybe add weights while I walk, light 5 lb ones, that may work. Idk!
when someone says add weights they dont mean 5 lbs, they mean heavy lifting(of course you do work your way up) adding some weight while you walk will give a little resistance(it would be like you weighing an extra 5 lbs) but its not going to be much of a difference.heavy lifting helps you retain muscle mass you have now(with enough protein intake) and helps you lose fat and change how your body looks while you are in a deficit. trust me it works.3 -
Hi,
Well, I am not a lifter like that. As stated above, I have severe Hypertension, so I can't go in hard and I really don't want to. I am not a gym lover.
I guess I have to eat less in order to see results!2 -
buy a food scale. learn how to use it. for EVERYTHING. not most things, not some things. EVERYTHING. even prepackaged foods are off.3
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How about some swimming as a form of gentle resistance training?
Have you been given some meds for the BP? It should not remain high.1 -
pinksparklefairy wrote: »How about some swimming as a form of gentle resistance training?
Have you been given some meds for the BP? It should not remain high.
I am on 4 medications. That is what started my journey. Ashamed it took a health scare, but nonetheless, I am doing it.1 -
Resistance training doesn't need to be with weights. There are some great body weight exercises you can do that will help, and you might find you enjoy those.
Don't walk with weights, though.4 -
"Lifting weights" simply means using muscle in a progressively harder fashion as it becomes easier. You can do the same thing during your walks... Stop every 5 minutes and do 1 pushup as best you can (knees, against a bench, etc) . Try to "feel" the muscle in your arm and chest contract/release. After a few days when you can do this fairly well, try doing two each time.. or stopping more often... or doing a "better' pushup (going from knees to toes, etc). The only thing that matters is that once you can do something "easily", make it a *little* harder.
Pushups is just an example. If you walk near a park, use the swings (pump your legs) or hang from the monkey bars as long as you can.
You could also try just doing a few squats every time you go to the bathroom (so you do it in private). Start out with 2 . WOrk your way up to ten, or work on getting your butt lower. Pretend to sit on the toilet then at the last second stand back up...
If you really, really, hate all that, you could buy a weighted vest to wear on your walks. Start with a lighter one and then progress to heavier ones. I would not recommend ankle or wrist weights - they will throw your bones/muscles out of whack.
There are all kinds of bodyweight related exercises you can do, and they are progressive - i.e. start doing pushups simply by standing two feets from a wall and pushing yourself from the wall to standing over and over without moving your feet. When it is easy and you can do a lot, step back another foot and start over. When you get out far enough, kneel on the ground with hands on a bench. Then eventually hands on the floor. Then eventually toes instead of knees. All exercises use your body weight, and your angle or position increases/decreases the weight. Look up "you are your own gym" or "convict conditioning" or "marks daily apple" for some examples if you need ideas (you dont have to follow those programs, but it will give you ideas on different body weight things you can do).
Good luck!3 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »when she says weigh it - how many grams of BS was it? 1.5 cups could be a wide range of weights
Yikes, see now I am even more confused!
Weight is measured in units like grams and (avoirdupois) ounces/pounds.
Cups are a measurement of volume. The amount of solid foods you can fit in a cup varies widely depending on how small or large the pieces of the food are (whole brussels sprouts? are they large or small sprouts? halved? shredded?) and much you pack them down, etc.
Weight does not change based on the size of the pieces or how much you pack them down.
People are saying you weigh your food, on a scale, not measure them by volume in a cup.
I do, but had the scale set to ounces. It's a digital scale that I bought at Target!
I suspect you're confusing fluid ounces with ounces of weight. They are not the same things. You can't convert ounces of weight into cups. That's for fluid ounces. You can convert ounces of weight into pounds, or into grams if you're converting it to metric.1 -
I'm 5'1 so I'm a shorty as well. My highest was 333lbs. What I've found that has helped me, besides counting calories. I got rid of carbs and I try to stay below 10g of sugar per meal if any at all. Getting rid of those 2 things has helped me. I don't know if it's healthy or not, just letting you know what has worked for me1
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Try adding in some light weight lifting to your walking. More muscles=more fat burning potential!0
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Weigh absolutely everything you eat! see where that puts you.1
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Keep doing what you are doing. Measure liquids and weigh solids. 4 weeks ago was still the holidays and you mentioned you stayed the same weight during the holidays. So try to look back and see how well you really kept to the goals. Maybe give it another 2 weeks before you change. Great job on losing 21lbs!1
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As others said, I'd switch to grams rather than ounces for anything that can be weighed. I'd also add that using "Generic" entries isn't a good idea. "Generic pepperoni pizza" isn't going to be a very accurate entry. Varying amounts of sauce, dough, cheese, etc will all alter the calories in a slice.
On chips, nuts, etc, those should be weighed rather than counted.
"Generic homemade meat sauce" -- Use the recipe builder if you made the sauce and weigh the pasta rather than using a cup measurement.
Avocado - again, weigh, not log by slices.. how large is an avocado slice?
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I had a look through a couple of pages of your diary. I notice you eat a lot of pizza ... this is something I would be VERY wary of when dieting, i.e. have a very thin slice every now and again as a treat rather than an actual meal. Pizzas are full of calories and it is easy to underestimate. When my family has pizza, I only have a tiny amount and still over-log it just to be sure
Brussel sprouts and other vegetables you do not need to be quite so wary of as they are low calorie to start with and if you do make a mistake with quantities, it will not be hundreds of calories out.
Silly question about the breakfast biscuits - you are having just one biscuit, is that right?1 -
WilsonFilson wrote: »Have you considered expanding your exercise routine? You COULD be eating more and still losing in a year from now by increasing your lean mass (i.e., muscle).
I'm a big fan of dropping the low intensity steady state exercise (walking) and replacing it with a solid weight lifting program and interval cardio 3-4 times a week.
I'm a fan of doing both.0 -
There is nothing wrong with pizza and losing weight. I have pizza almost everyday for lunch, as I love pizza. So far have lost almost 50 lbs. The trick is what kind of pizza. I have a California Pizza Kitchen - Crispy Flatbread Sicilian. Also sometimes on weekends for dinner we go to Blaze Pizza and get a single serve pizza for 700-800 calories and it is a lot of food.3
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OP, my humble two cents...
Commit for 2 weeks to weighing every solid food you can in grams, even packaged stuff. In this time, also commit to making sure the entries you are using in the database are accurate. Don't use generic or homemade entries. Search for "raw" or "usda" whenever possible. Make sure there are no items slipping through the cracks, like condiments or snacks.
Is this level of accuracy necessary long term? Not unless you want it to be, but this will give you 2 solid weeks of good data and may shine a light on any possible issues.
As others have said, it is possible to go for as long as 4 weeks with no loss and then get a whoosh. So that could be the whole story right there.
Walking is great exercise, and if that's all you can do, then that's all you can do! With the bad weather, I'll sometimes march in place in front of the TV for 10 minutes here and there to get some steps in, LOL.
Hang in there :drinker:6 -
Briacha, I think first of all amazing job so far, don't be discouraged. Patience is a virtue. second of all, you should stop worrying about numbers. Stress can affect weight loss by releasing an hormone called cortisol (if I remember correctly), which means that sometimes u need to look at body measurements other than body weight. I also think that you need to include weight lifting into your workout, walking is great but intensity is the key here. Pushing yourself more and more by setting goals to achieve. However, over training can also cause a lot of stress to your body so don't forget to rest well. Food wise, counting calories and eating clean is the key BUT sometime we tend to forget the essentials, as you are getting leaner by losing weight you need to eat more too to burn more. DO NOT starve your body, spread those 1200 calories over 4 to 5 meals a day by eating every 2 to 3hrs. When your body enters starvation mode, it builds fats instead of burning it. Finally, like others said be careful when you enter your food, make sure you are weighing things properly and also maybe just stick to one unit. I use grams as I think it's easier.
Just keep pushing and be patient you will get there1 -
OP, my humble two cents...
Commit for 2 weeks to weighing every solid food you can in grams, even packaged stuff. In this time, also commit to making sure the entries you are using in the database are accurate. Don't use generic or homemade entries. Search for "raw" or "usda" whenever possible. Make sure there are no items slipping through the cracks, like condiments or snacks.
Is this level of accuracy necessary long term? Not unless you want it to be, but this will give you 2 solid weeks of good data and may shine a light on any possible issues.
As others have said, it is possible to go for as long as 4 weeks with no loss and then get a whoosh. So that could be the whole story right there.
Walking is great exercise, and if that's all you can do, then that's all you can do! With the bad weather, I'll sometimes march in place in front of the TV for 10 minutes here and there to get some steps in, LOL.
Hang in there :drinker:
In addition to marching in place in front of the tv, there are free Leslie Sansone walk at home work outs on youtube.
I am not a fan of exercise DVD's at all, but I found doing those bearable.
Like the OP, I started out with the only form of exercise I found to be enjoyable being walking. Things progressed from there.
I used those Leslie Sansone videos when I didn't feel like going to the gym to use the treadmill.1 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Resistance training doesn't need to be with weights. There are some great body weight exercises you can do that will help, and you might find you enjoy those.
Don't walk with weights, though.
well no it doesnt mean you cant do bodyweight,but bodyweight exercises will only get you so far though.with bodyweight exercise eventually your body will get used to them and they will become less efficient. unless you add some heavier types of resistance.any exercise can become less efficient over time though. but at least with heavy weights you can up the weights and get more "resistance".0 -
arnolddelor wrote: »Briacha, I think first of all amazing job so far, don't be discouraged. Patience is a virtue. second of all, you should stop worrying about numbers. Stress can affect weight loss by releasing an hormone called cortisol (if I remember correctly), which means that sometimes u need to look at body measurements other than body weight. I also think that you need to include weight lifting into your workout, walking is great but intensity is the key here. Pushing yourself more and more by setting goals to achieve. However, over training can also cause a lot of stress to your body so don't forget to rest well. Food wise, counting calories and eating clean is the key BUT sometime we tend to forget the essentials, as you are getting leaner by losing weight you need to eat more too to burn more. DO NOT starve your body, spread those 1200 calories over 4 to 5 meals a day by eating every 2 to 3hrs. When your body enters starvation mode, it builds fats instead of burning it. Finally, like others said be careful when you enter your food, make sure you are weighing things properly and also maybe just stick to one unit. I use grams as I think it's easier.
Just keep pushing and be patient you will get there
she does not have to eat more to lose more, and starvation mode when it comes to weight loss does not exist. she will not build fat in a deficit,she also does not have to eat 4-5 meals a day or eat every 2-3 hrs unless she has a health issue where she needs to keep insulin or something along those lines at a decent level and has to eat that often.fat is burned in a deficit. your body wont store it.2 -
Hi,
Well, I am not a lifter like that. As stated above, I have severe Hypertension, so I can't go in hard and I really don't want to. I am not a gym lover.
I guess I have to eat less in order to see results!
you dont have to go in hard, or go to the gym. if you wanted to lift weights you start out low anyway. I started off with 5 lbs,but worked my way up. you dont have to lift weights if you dont want to,thats your choice. but maybe once you lose the weight your blood pressure will come down.if you want just do your walking for awhile,exercise is exercise,a lot of us build up and do weight lifting as it helps retain our lean mass we have and changes how our bodies look. but again its a personal choice and I wont hold it against you if you dont want to do it. I hope you can get your health issues under control as you go through your journey. I know what its like to have health issues too. I will wish you luck as well. its a hard journey but its worth it!0 -
alarmed123 wrote: »I'm 5'1 so I'm a shorty as well. My highest was 333lbs. What I've found that has helped me, besides counting calories. I got rid of carbs and I try to stay below 10g of sugar per meal if any at all. Getting rid of those 2 things has helped me. I don't know if it's healthy or not, just letting you know what has worked for me
so you got rid of veggies and fruit? carbs=sugar=carbs2 -
I echo the comments of others who recommend adding body weight exercises: squats, lunges, push ups, etc. You can do these with a 5lb weight (or the weight that challenges you for now) to increase the work your body is doing. Create a spreadsheet for yourself and track what you are doing, the number of reps, and the days. Don't forget to add a rest day. Lots of literature to indicate that this will increase your metabolism, but just be sure to feed your body as well. Buena suerte!0
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