Eating healthy, not losing weight
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Congratulations on the baby! During my last pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes. I was insulin-dependent. I also had to be on oxygen 24/7 and blood thinners for a pulmonary embolism. I had to learn to record everything before and after my birth to make sure my blood wouldn't clot too readily, and my sugar didn't kill my little one.
One way I learned to continue recording after the birth was to log during the times I was also logging her diaper changes, amount of time she nursed, and so forth. I'd also weigh foods for the next meal or two around that same time. If I didn't record the information right then, I'd have it handy for the next time my kiddo needed a change.
Of course, I was driven by the desire to live, and my doctors would have thrown a fit and a half if my information didn't mesh well with my regular blood tests. I'm sure you wouldn't have to become a super-logger, but a simple digital food scale does help. I've only recently learned single servings are a total lie, and one gram's difference in weight adds 5 or more calories to what I thought was a well-measured, healthy snack.
Good luck, mom!
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If you were consistently eating 900-1000 calories per day, you'd be losing weight (and you'd probably be having issues with your milk supply).
If it were me, I would spend the next two to four weeks logging as accurately as possible (given my available time to do so) and just start collecting data. After that, I would either come back to this thread and open up my diary and ask for input, or start a new thread to ask for people to review my diary. (If you start a new thread, please link back to this one so people can see some context).
Somewhere along the line, you are eating enough calories to put yourself at maintenance, but with only two days worth of data, it's hard for us to guess where. It could be that your perception of what you eat on a daily basis is off, or it could be that you have occasional days where you eat over maintenance and that skews your weekly average. Having more accumulated data in your diary should help you pinpoint what factors are causing you to eat at maintenance so you can target those factors. Again, just eating less across the board without knowing where to cut isn't likely your best bet, since you need to be eating enough to continue to breastfeed.4 -
While you are eating a lot of healthy, nutrient rich foods some of them are also very calorie dense. Avocados, hemp hearts, etc. are things I also love but I weigh the hell out of them because they add up so quick!
I would say try weighing the most calorie dense things at the very least (weighing everything being preferable)- you may be surprised by the numbers.2 -
There's the problem: "...I don't have time to record what I eat everyday, weighing and measuring like I used to. I figure since I eat healthy it should be fine. "
Healthy is subjective. The types of foods are not nearly as important as the calories you consume in a day. You have to create a deficit to lose weight. Period.
I can't add more than the above posters have already done other than to demonstrate you may be eating more calories than you think...
What you posted originally for just the smoothies was (just as an example):
2 Smoothies *1 banana, 1 tbsp cacao, 1 tbsp hemp hearts, 2 c. homemade almond milk, 1 tsp maca*
1 banana (medium, you didn't specify) = ~120 cals
1 tbsp cacao powder = ~12 calories
1 tbsp hemp hearts = ~60 calories
2 cups homemade almond milk? (what recipe?) = 220 cals
1 tsp maca = 10 cals
Total = 422 calories per smoothie, maybe more maybe less depending on how the almond milk is made and the actual size of the banana, etc. So 2 of those is 844 calories (this is a guess-timate)
The reason the logging tool is here on MFP is for this very reason, so that you can know exactly what you're eating, how many calories it is, and how many calories you should eat to lose weight at a specified rate. I wish you luck, but if you're not losing weight those are some ideas above as to why it might not be working for you.15 -
I wonder if you may have a wonky thyroid. Its much more common than most in the general population think and its not just, "I don't seem to loose weight or have suddenly started gaining when I'm doing nothing different" sort of thing. Its about a whole lot more. When a thyroid is on a go slow it lowers the metabolism then adding a calorific restriction reduces it further. Also it effects the nutritional value of the food you do eat by slowing the digestive transit and there is research which links it to things like IBS, it reduces the way one's body can cope with sugar, it can impact on our insulin responses and increases our risk of having food intolerances. Sometimes the thyroid is the victim of other glands within the endocrine system because when the pituitary gland is not working well it reduces the amount hormones the thyroid can make also if the adrenals are not optimum this can have an impact too but for most medics your numbers have to be way off for them to do anything.
May I suggest you look at some websites doing your own research and keep notes, copious ones. Most countries have their own thyroid support site. Stop the Thyroid Madness is one which brings us up to date scientific information though when it comes to having a diagnosis it may, some think it tends towards promoting NDT which is not available in Europe. The hypothyroid mom, on her site lists 300 possible symptoms because the thyroid impacts on every cell. There are many more reputable sites and open access medical papers available for information.
I would not necessarily trust your own doctor to know much about this subject most never tell you of the need for selenium to aid conversion of the t4 iodine, you should have 150 microns per day half a teaspoon for a year, and the need for many vitamins and minerals to aid production of the t3 hormone which is sometimes referred to as, the spark of life, or a power pack for cells, or "the brain hormone", because being fat based and the brain is principally fat t3 is needed for many functions not least underpinning ones feeling of well being.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common problem, can be triggered during/after pregnancy recent research points to thyroid issues being higher in persons who had trauma in their first months too. The only way to diagnose Hashimoto's is by testing for antibodies which are created in response to a cause, when Hashi first presents you will have normal thyroid numbers, its only when you are a long way down the road to a major problem do the numbers change. Its complicated or can be and most medics do not realise the breadth of issues it can underpin, weight is just the tip of the iceberg.
I'm hashi, had problems for a life time over 40 years and am getting my life back before nature takes its natural course.
all the very best.1 -
I wonder if you may have a wonky thyroid. Its much more common than most in the general population think and its not just, "I don't seem to loose weight or have suddenly started gaining when I'm doing nothing different" sort of thing. Its about a whole lot more. When a thyroid is on a go slow it lowers the metabolism then adding a calorific restriction reduces it further. Also it effects the nutritional value of the food you do eat by slowing the digestive transit and there is research which links it to things like IBS, it reduces the way one's body can cope with sugar, it can impact on our insulin responses and increases our risk of having food intolerances. Sometimes the thyroid is the victim of other glands within the endocrine system because when the pituitary gland is not working well it reduces the amount hormones the thyroid can make also if the adrenals are not optimum this can have an impact too but for most medics your numbers have to be way off for them to do anything.
May I suggest you look at some websites doing your own research and keep notes, copious ones. Most countries have their own thyroid support site. Stop the Thyroid Madness is one which brings us up to date scientific information though when it comes to having a diagnosis it may, some think it tends towards promoting NDT which is not available in Europe. The hypothyroid mom, on her site lists 300 possible symptoms because the thyroid impacts on every cell. There are many more reputable sites and open access medical papers available for information.
I would not necessarily trust your own doctor to know much about this subject most never tell you of the need for selenium to aid conversion of the t4 iodine, you should have 150 microns per day half a teaspoon for a year, and the need for many vitamins and minerals to aid production of the t3 hormone which is sometimes referred to as, the spark of life, or a power pack for cells, or "the brain hormone", because being fat based and the brain is principally fat t3 is needed for many functions not least underpinning ones feeling of well being.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common problem, can be triggered during/after pregnancy recent research points to thyroid issues being higher in persons who had trauma in their first months too. The only way to diagnose Hashimoto's is by testing for antibodies which are created in response to a cause, when Hashi first presents you will have normal thyroid numbers, its only when you are a long way down the road to a major problem do the numbers change. Its complicated or can be and most medics do not realise the breadth of issues it can underpin, weight is just the tip of the iceberg.
I'm hashi, had problems for a life time over 40 years and am getting my life back before nature takes its natural course.
all the very best.
Shes drinking 800 calories and isn't tracking. I wouldnt start with thyroid if I had to wager a guess on what was 'wrong'18 -
You did not have time to read and inwardly digest what I wrote. fascha. True thyroid may not be the first port of call but when it reduces metabolism and messes up so much, with the brief explanation I gave with places to find information 300 symptoms, it may be helpful, if only for the OP or other readers, to eliminate thyroid issues, from the possibilities.0
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Yes pregnancy can cause thyroid disturbances and also severe fat restriction can cause it as well. True thyroid should be ruled out, but I'd bet the lack of weight loss is related to eating more than perceived.0
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I suppose if your only tool is a hammer it's convenient that every problem be a nail. I think it's a terrible place to start when you can plainly see OP is eating way too much. Her smoothies are 800 calories and then she's having 2 substantial meals. This is just going to give her another excuse why she can't lose weight. She already used the no time to log, well done.12
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Just a small note on some of the foods you mentioned. I have been eating exclusively plant based this month, and homemade nut milk has way more calories than store bought. At least 3 times as much, depending on your nut:water ratio. Very little refuse is left. My homemade cashew milk has more calories than whole fat milk. That cashew dressing you made? That's a calorie bomb. I made one myself yesterday, and at least the one I made has about 55 calories per tbsp. There is an entire large apple in just one ounce of dehydrated apple slices.
"healthy" means nothing for weight loss when you are consuming high caloric density foods in uncontrolled amounts.18 -
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I'm also a single Mom, but I have 6 kids ages 4 to 16. You absolutely have time to weigh and log your food. It literally adds 2 minutes onto meals. There is an entire YouTube series on Baby/Mom exercises that my Babies loved! It's just a game for them. Congrats on the baby!1
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amusedmonkey wrote: »Just a small note on some of the foods you mentioned. I have been eating exclusively plant based this month, and homemade nut milk has way more calories than store bought. At least 3 times as much, depending on your nut:water ratio. Very little refuse is left. My homemade cashew milk has more calories than whole fat milk. That cashew dressing you made? That's a calorie bomb. I made one myself yesterday, and at least the one I made has about 55 calories per tbsp. There is an entire large apple in just one ounce of dehydrated apple slices.
"healthy" means nothing for weight loss when you are consuming high caloric density foods in uncontrolled amounts.
This. 1000x this. My guess is the daily calorie intake is 2x-3x what the OP thinks it is. Again, it's a guess as there is not enough information to calculate anything accurately.5 -
Logging accurately & honestly is one way to make sure you're eating at a deficit but it is not the only way. PEople lost weight before calorie counting was a thing. You just have to cut back somewhere.
Looking at your typical day a few things come to mind.
1. Bananas vary in size. Perhaps cut back to 1/2 banana per smoothie This could save 45-65 calories per smoothie.
2. Avocados are high in calories. They are not bad, but using 1/4 avocado per salad could save you about 75 calories. Depending on the size of the avocado of course!
3. Homemade dressings are great, but no way for us to guess the caloric content. Think about what goes in them to determine if you could/should lessen the calories.
It would certainly not hurt to try to log your calories for a typical day to get an honest idea of where you are starting from. If you've ruled out medical reasons - such as thyroid imbalance - then eating less should result in weight loss.
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sodaceratops wrote: »I logged my food yesterday and the day before. Yesterday was 900 calories and the day before was 1000. How many calories should I be eating to lose weight? I was told anything under 1600. I don't believe I eat over 1600 calories. When I was recording my daily food intake, I was always around 1000. I'll try to record my food for the week and hope this helps.
ARe you using a food scale? If not its easy to eat larger servings yet assume they are small ones. Your 2 bananas and 1/2 avocado are easily 350 calories.
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There are so many health reasons to eat a plant based diet. She's already vegan. I'm not trying to convert anyone. And yes, medical professionals have made it very clear that smoothies are NOT favourable for weight loss. It is easy to take in a lot more liquid calories than it is to eat all the food in a smoothie. It also makes you hungrier because of how quickly your blood sugar raises and then drops. Of course, you can lose weight with smoothies if you are tracking but she clearly stated that she does not have time to track. The reason that someone who does not track should be careful with fats is that it is higher in calories and can lead to eating more than you need. I did not say no fat- I said low fat. Most people drink smoothies way too quickly and don't end up full off them. I can link you a bunch of peer reviewed studies on smoothies if you want.Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »@RedheadedPrincess14 -- That is absolutely not true, insulin levels do not cause fat storage on the body, insulin is NEEDED for the body, it increases in normal healthy people to keep sugar from sticking to red blood cells, which is what is actually harmful, not increased insulin, Fat is also important in diets, especially good dietary fats, it also helps people remain more satiated as they learn to stick with a deficit. People do not need to go vegan, that is a life choice people make for ethical reasons, if they don't have any issues eating meat or products that come from animals they can eat them and still lose weight just fine
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Yes, because you are tracking calories. You can lose weight on a Twinkie diet with tracking. She clearly stated that she is not tracking all her food so it is best for her to eat more calorically dilute, nutritionally dense food that will fill her up. It's a suggestion for a new mom who doesn't want to track. If a smoothie is filling for you, fine, but for a lot of people, it can cause binges later on.Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »@RedheadedPrincess14 -- That is absolutely not true, insulin levels do not cause fat storage on the body, insulin is NEEDED for the body, it increases in normal healthy people to keep sugar from sticking to red blood cells, which is what is actually harmful, not increased insulin, Fat is also important in diets, especially good dietary fats, it also helps people remain more satiated as they learn to stick with a deficit. People do not need to go vegan, that is a life choice people make for ethical reasons, if they don't have any issues eating meat or products that come from animals they can eat them and still lose weight just fine
Haha, preach, I'm down 50lbs with plenty of pasta, meat, pizza and alcohol! It's how much we consume, not what we consume (although I do advocate for moderation rather than just junk all the time)
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Even with a thyroid problem, most people can lose weight on 900 to 1000 calories per day especially with OP's stats. Maybe the OP can consider a thyroid issue as a possibility once they actually log properly because, like many others, I'm fairly confident that is where their issue lies. This thyroid thing that gets jumped on so easily is exactly why magazines like Woman's World have stuff like "How to reset your thyroid in 10 days!" on the cover. It's so much easier to say it's a medical condition than to accept "healthy eating or not, you're eating at a caloric surplus".2
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Check out dr Ludwigs book always hungry....or eat fat get thin by Dr Hyman ... not allcalories are the same ..the book will help you to loose weight safely and explains why we put on weight and how to loose it ..0
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How do I open my diary? I was following a LCHF diet for a few months, that was the time I was recording what I was eating. I stopped because I became really sick after after around 2 months. I needed the carbs. I lost 20 lbs and gained it back. I'm not 100 lbs over weight. That's just how much I gained during pregnancy. I'm approx. 60 lbs over a healthy weight according to BMI.0
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I was speaking directly to the OP and her situation. I'm not starting a threat to give general advice to everyone. If she doesn't want to track, eating those foods in whole form instead of as smoothies may be a better idea. Since she is vegan I gave her some recommendations to vegan diets that will work without tracking. I think I worded my advice to /her/ exactly as I intended it. For people who track, they already know that if you stay under your calories, you will loseLook_Its_Kriss wrote: »RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
There are so many health reasons to eat a plant based diet. She's already vegan. I'm not trying to convert anyone. And yes, medical professionals have made it very clear that smoothies are NOT favourable for weight loss. It is easy to take in a lot more liquid calories than it is to eat all the food in a smoothie. It also makes you hungrier because of how quickly your blood sugar raises and then drops. Of course, you can lose weight with smoothies if you are tracking but she clearly stated that she does not have time to track. The reason that someone who does not track should be careful with fats is that it is higher in calories and can lead to eating more than you need. I did not say no fat- I said low fat. Most people drink smoothies way too quickly and don't end up full off them. I can link you a bunch of peer reviewed studies on smoothies if you want.Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »@RedheadedPrincess14 -- That is absolutely not true, insulin levels do not cause fat storage on the body, insulin is NEEDED for the body, it increases in normal healthy people to keep sugar from sticking to red blood cells, which is what is actually harmful, not increased insulin, Fat is also important in diets, especially good dietary fats, it also helps people remain more satiated as they learn to stick with a deficit. People do not need to go vegan, that is a life choice people make for ethical reasons, if they don't have any issues eating meat or products that come from animals they can eat them and still lose weight just fine
... there is a study for everything i swear... lol
But no, i don't need studies on smoothies.. i find your posts tend to not come off the first time in the intent you seem to want them to be. Your post above is clearly saying caloric density can be an issue for someone not tracking, this is true. But based on your last post, that is not the message it gave out.
Smoothies however are personal preference, lots of people love them and can manage their weight and hunger with them so if the OP took the time to log the calories and didn't have hunger issues the smoothies really wouldn't be a problem, the over all issue with the OP is her simple lack of logging, all other dietary formalities are up to her and for her to figure out if they work for her or not0 -
sodaceratops wrote: »I eat very healthy, exercise as often as I can and still can't seem to lose weight.
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I don't have time to record what I eat everyday, weighing and measuring like I used to. I figure since I eat healthy it should be fine.
Clearly it isn't. You are not recording/measuring what you eat, so it appears that you are consuming more than you realize.sodaceratops wrote: »Any suggestions/tips/advice on how I can lose weight or get more exercise in would be great.
Start weighing and logging every single thing that you put into your mouth.
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Goosfraba0
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sodaceratops wrote: »I logged my food yesterday and the day before. Yesterday was 900 calories and the day before was 1000. How many calories should I be eating to lose weight? I was told anything under 1600. I don't believe I eat over 1600 calories. When I was recording my daily food intake, I was always around 1000. I'll try to record my food for the week and hope this helps.
If you are breastfeeding, that is far too low, really dangerously low I think. Are you weighing your food?2 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »sodaceratops wrote: »I eat very healthy, exercise as often as I can and still can't seem to lose weight.
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I don't have time to record what I eat everyday, weighing and measuring like I used to. I figure since I eat healthy it should be fine.
Clearly it isn't. You are not recording/measuring what you eat, so it appears that you are consuming more than you realize.sodaceratops wrote: »Any suggestions/tips/advice on how I can lose weight or get more exercise in would be great.
Start weighing and logging every single thing that you put into your mouth.
That's probably the most helpful suggestion. Thanks
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If you don't want to weigh and log your food, you can always cut your portions down some more.
Plenty of people lose without weighing and logging but it's trial and error.
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xmichaelyx wrote: »Step 1: Figure out exactly how many calories you are eating.
Step 2: Figure out exactly how many calories you should be eating.
Step 3: Eat that many calories.
Eating "healthy" or "unhealthy" is mostly irrelevant to weight loss.
Why do people say this such incredible statements. Eating healthy has everything to do with it. If you eat a diet high in sugar your body will find it much harder to burn fat.2
This discussion has been closed.
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