Very frustrated!
sd4Texas
Posts: 12 Member
Why is it when I have 58 pounds to loose, and I've stayed under my 1200 calorie requirement for over two weeks now and have only lost one pound? I've not had any bread, fake sugar (only berries or strawberries) very low carbs, etc....al the things I'm suppose to be doing. Speed walking four times a week each time losing 300 calories per walk. I'm 58 year old woman that's extremely frustrated! Please help! I so my other friends using programs like a plan from Thyroid Connection and they are able to drop 10 pounds a month easily. But not me. I'm eating all non processed foods, too!
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Replies
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first off, its not necessary to cut out bread, fake sugar, carbs and processed foods to lose weight.
second, it is a marathon - not a sprint. two weeks is nothing in the big scheme of things. it took longer than 2 weeks to put on the weight, you aren't going to take it off in two weeks. plus, weight fluctuates and weight loss is not linear. give it more time.
finally, are you weighing all your food???13 -
You shouldn't eat under 1200 as you have 58lbs to lose. Eat your calories. The deficit is built in so you don't have to create one. How tall are you?
It has been 2 weeks and you've lost a pound. That's still a loss. You haven't stalked. Are you eating back a portion of your exercise calories? If no, then you are severely under eating.
The type of food you eat/don't eat doesn't matter. I still eat chocolate/pizza/candy and have been (and still am) losing weight. All that matters is a calorie deficit. "Fake sugar" does not stall weight loss, ever. Processed foods are not a problem, either....
Do you use a food scale for all raw solid food and semi solid foods? Do you use cups/spoons for liquids only?3 -
If you are eating under your calorie goal, you are not doing all of the things that you are supposed to be doing. You're making the process more difficult/stressful than necessary and that's likely to turn you into a stressball.
Eat in a moderate deficit. Eat food you like and that help you have a nutritionally well-rounded diet. Exercise for health and enjoyment. This is going to take you over a year. Settle in and chill out.9 -
I eat processed foods and still lose weight, it's about eating at an appropriate deficit not cutting out 'horrible foods'. Some foods give you a better nutritional bang for your buck, but if you want bread, eat the bread.
Did you pick 1200, or did you use MFP to calculate it and came to that? Also I'll agree with you shouldn't be eating under 1200, that's the base minimum for females MFP will give you (which is why I asked how you came to that #).
What do you have set to lose a week? IE 2lb/week, 1, .5?
As we can't see your diary, are you entering all the food you eat?
Are you measuring, weighing, eyeballing?
Did you just start walking?
Thyroid Connection is a book to help people identify thyroid issues? I've never heard of a plan from it. I am hypothyroid (mine was removed), and as long as my meds are on point I don't have a problem losing. 10lb a month is a bit high unless maybe they just started as often that can be water weight.2 -
I have also been on a 1200 calorie a day program. I am 61 years old. I recently had a test for resting calorie burning. My numbers were very low, I had lost a lot of lean muscle and that could be why my weight loss became so difficult in recent weeks. My Bariactic Educator and one of my Doctors has recommended I increase my Carb intake to 90 grams a day. I was also told I needed to increase my lean muscle so I am now doing weight and resistance exercises. My hikes were not building the muscle I need. I am trying to do what the doctor ordered and hope this will do it. Maybe check with your doctor and see if this is a possibility.0
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I’m 5’6 and yes, I used the MFP the calculate the 1200 calories per day. I do not eat back my exercise calories as I don’t consider those calories I should eat back since I only walk/speed walk. I do use a food scale to weigh all of my food. It’s a good digital scale, too! I also weigh myself only once a week on the same day and the same day so that I don’t get preoccupied with my weight. Yes, I did just start speed walking over two weeks ago. I do anywhere from 2.25 to 2.85 four times a week faithfully. I’m on no medication, and I haven’t seen a doctor about any weight loss issues or plans. MFB goal to lose a week is set for 2 lbs a week. In order to correct an earlier statement, I’m eating right at 1200 calories a day; some days I may go over by 50 calories and some days I may go under 50-75 calories. As I said earlier, though, I never eat back my exercise calories. I am focusing on walking for my health and not for weight loss. I’ve heard that weight loss is 80-90 percent what you eat and 10-20 percent exercise. I’m now freaking out since I understand that exercising causes your muscle to retain water weight in order to help the muscles recover, so now I’ve got a new concern in regards to exercising. There seems like there are so many dynamics to weight loss, and if you don’t do it the exact way, I feel like I’m never going to lose the weight. I do appreciate all of your comments.0
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Losing 10 pounds a month is probably not realistic for you. Losing 1 pound in 2 weeks is actually pretty good.
Ps-water weight is temporary. It will go away on its own. Log your food accurately & honestly, and have patience.7 -
Sometimes weighing only once a week can be deceiving. You can catch a high day!! I weigh daily and track in Libra, a weight trending app. I like daily weighing because it really shows you how much you can fluctuate up and down. If I weighed only once a week and caught a really high day, I could see how it would be frustrating. Now I can almost guess what my weight is going to do based on my exercise, sodium intake (if I eat out), and TOM in my cycle, and everytime I hit a new low I jump up at least a pound the next day!!
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Are you sure you're not snacking during the day and not counting those calories? Like a few nuts here and there? Are you counting your drinks? The extra milk/cream in your coffee? Do you have a glass of wine or beer at night and aren't counting that? Are you failing to account for condiments like butter, dressing, mayonnaise?
When I'm in a losing weight mode, I'm constantly aware of what I'm eating 24/7. If I'm at home all day, I'll grab 5 or 6 nuts once like 3 times during the day, or a pretzel, and forget to account for it. That's an extra 200 calories right there. Or, milk and sugar in my tea. That's an extra 50 per cup right there.
You'll lose on 1200 calories if that is what you're having.
My typical day to lose:
Breakfast: (350 calories) 300 calorie egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, Tea with milk and sugar
Water during the day, nothing else
Lunch: (450 calories) Subway 6" rotisserie chicken - no condiments, just chicken, cheese and veggies on a honey oat bread with water to drink
Water, water more water during the day
Dinner: (400 calories) A lean-cuisine dinner (300 calories) with water and some nuts (100 calories)
That's it. Very little to eat. I lose 2 pounds a week.
If I have snacks during the day, or a glass of wine, I'll go around 1500-2000 calories, then lose about 1/2 a pound a week.
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There are 3 nights a week I eat late because of my husband's work schedule. I eat those nights around 8:30 p.m. Someone told me that affects weight gain, too. But if I'm staying within my calorie intake, what different does that matter? @StaciMarie1974 then what's the benefit of using my MFP to set a goal of losing 2 pounds a week and getting back the suggested calorie intake of 1200 if I'm only going to lose 1 pound every two weeks realistically? That makes MFP look deceiving.0
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Eating late doesn't matter. It's just calories.
The type of calories you eat only matters in that if I eat too much of the 'wrong' things (things without the right protein, carbs, vitamins), I'll feel really hungry or just not well and dieting will be REALLY difficult.
For example, if I eat a lunch consisting of only a large McDonald's fry with a cocktail drink, that's 1,000 calories. My body won't like that at all, and I'll have a hard time not eating the rest of the day to stay under my calorie allotment.
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Not everyone can safely lose 2 pounds a week. Remember, it takes 1000 calories of deficit to lose 2 pounds a week average over time. If you put in your goals and are assigned 1200 calories: you have hit the bottom limit.
For a moment, set MFP to maintenance. How many calories does it give you? This is what MFP expects you to burn daily based on your height/weight/age/gender and activity level. Subtract 1000. If below 1200, MFP will NOT tell you to eat that low, but will give you 1200. Encouraging very low calorie diets is unsafe and not something MFP wishes to do. Eating 800/day would lose more weight in a shorter period of time but would also result in damage to brain/heart/etc, loss of muscle mass, damage to hair/skin/nails, etc.
It might alleviate your frustration somewhat to have realistic expectations. Having a better idea of what total calories you burn in a day can help with that. Such as if that # is 1700, then losing .5-1 pounds per week is a realistic goal.
Ps-timing of meals does not matter for weight loss. It could affect your sleep, such as if eating late and then going to bed soon after gives my husband heartburn. I sometimes eat late also, do to whatever is going on in the day. If Hubby is getting home around 9, I'd rather do my run/walk when I get home from work and then eat dinner with him.There are 3 nights a week I eat late because of my husband's work schedule. I eat those nights around 8:30 p.m. Someone told me that affects weight gain, too. But if I'm staying within my calorie intake, what different does that matter? @StaciMarie1974 then what's the benefit of using my MFP to set a goal of losing 2 pounds a week and getting back the suggested calorie intake of 1200 if I'm only going to lose 1 pound every two weeks realistically? That makes MFP look deceiving.
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I count everything....spices, snacks, coffee, condiments, etc. Here's a snapshot of a typical day (excluding the wine) when I don't exercise. I have a glass of wine twice a week.
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Listen, Listen... You are making this way more complicated than it has to be. Your mindset of assuming failure before you've even begun is not going to be doing you any favors. You thinking you're going to accomplish even DIDDLY SQUAT in a couple weeks is setting you up for failure. Comparing yourself to others isn't going to be doing you any favors. Trying to follow every piece of BS advice (meal timing, low carbs, no artificial sweeteners,etc.) isn't going to be doing you any favors.
I would go ahead and sit down and take a long look at how you got to where you are. Think seriously about this. Was it your lack of activity? Was it you not having any idea how many calories you were eating? Was it consistently overeating? Was it alcohol?
From there you need to set SMART goals.- Specific: Vague goals such as “I want to lose weight”, “i want to tone up”, etc. will never lead you to success. Instead, pick very specific goals such as “i will lose 5 pounds in 30 days”, “I want to have a BMI of 20”, or “I want to be 18% body fat”.
- Measurable: Once you have your specific goal you need to ensure that your goal is measurable. How will you track your progress? Will you weigh yourself, reevaluate your BMI, use calipers to measure your body fat? If so, when? What schedule are you going to implement in order to ensure you are on track?
- Attainable: Can your goal actually be accomplished? For example, can you actually achieve the body of your dreams with diet and exercise? This is very important as often we set an unattainable aesthetic goal that does not actually reflect our capabilities due to our height, body shape, or genetics.
- Realistic: Is your goal realistic? Can you actually eat the calorie goal needed to lose “x”pounds in “x”time? Is it realistic to expect yourself to stick to these changes? Is it realistic to expect an increase in strength or weight loss within the time you’ve set for yourself? (I.E. losing 30 pounds in 30 days would be unrealistic) In order to reach your goals you must be able to stick to this plan and this is something only you can decide.
- Timely: How long is this going to take? If you started right now, how long would it take for you to reach your goals? How often are you going to re-evaluate this goal and make sure you’re on track? How long do you plan on using training services?
A general rule of thumb is you can lose UP TO 1% total of your body weight per week if you're overweight or obese and about .5% of your body weight per week if you're within a healthy range. Even then, you want to look at the realistic and timely aspect and set a goal that you can actually stick to. Who gives a crap if you can lose the weight in 6 months vs. a year if you can't maintain your loss long-term anyway?
THEN-- Set you calorie goal.
- Track your foods with accurate measurements (weight for solids via a scale and in ML for liquids).
- Eat the foods you know, love, and can maintain long term that allow you to stick to your calorie goal. You can take a multivitamin to ensure you're meeting your nutritional needs. You can experiment with eating the foods you love and finding calories for them, if they are too calorie dense you can try and emulate these foods with lower calorie options, if they are WAY too calorie dense or you have problems controlling yourself eliminate these foods entirely.
- Find an exercise regimen that includes resistance, endurance, cardio, and functional training for a healthy body, heart, bones, and muscle mass over time. This is especially important as a woman as we have great risks for osteoporosis.
That's it. It's simple. Don't waste your time trying to follow trends, fads,28 -
There are 3 nights a week I eat late because of my husband's work schedule. I eat those nights around 8:30 p.m. Someone told me that affects weight gain, too. But if I'm staying within my calorie intake, what different does that matter? @StaciMarie1974 then what's the benefit of using my MFP to set a goal of losing 2 pounds a week and getting back the suggested calorie intake of 1200 if I'm only going to lose 1 pound every two weeks realistically? That makes MFP look deceiving.
Except that no matter what, MFP will not go under 1200 cals/day.
My current TDEE (how much I burn in a day total, including exercise) is 2200 (+/-). I know this because it's how much I've been eating these past 3 months and neither gaining nor losing. So to lose 2lbs per week, I would need to eat 1200 cals/day. I'm 35 years old, 170cm tall, and have about 20kg left to lose, so about 44lbs. Eating at 1200 cals/day is not realistic for me, I'd be gnawing off my arm.
Now, if you told MFP you're sedentary, possibly older and shorter than me (didn't check, so I don't know), then that starting number would be lower. Let's assume 1900. To lose 2lbs per week, you need to deduct 1000... So to lose 2lbs a week, you would need to eat 900 cals per day, which MFP won't allow and needs to be done under medical supervision and only in case where rapid weight-loss is a must. It's extremely hard to get the necessary nutrients in on 1200 cals/day, and quasi impossible on lower than that.
Add to that any possible logging errors (choosing bad database entries, eyeballing portions, forgetting to log things such as cooking oil, etc.) and instead of having enough of a deficit to lose a bit over 1lbs per week, you're closer to that 0.5lbs per week you're having.
So no, MFP is not deceiving. It's just not explaining its math to you.
You can also look at it this way: you lost 1lbs in 2 weeks. That's 2 weeks where you didn't gain more weight...
ETA: when you eat truly doesn't matter unless you have a medical condition which prescribes some kind of limits.1 -
Regarding your food log. Check the label for the salmon. Wild caught is leaner than farm raised. If you're eating farm raised salmon, then 150 calories for 6 ounces is low. More like 300-350.
Strawberries at 16 calories, not a big deal, but weighing could improve accuracy. 16 vs 20 vs 24 is not going to make or break you, but those sorts of estimations can add up.
Otherwise, for meat make sure your weighing and logging match. Such as are these raw weights and raw entries? Or cooked weights with cooked entries? Food loses moisture as it cooks, so weigh less. If you start with 4 ounces raw and end with 3 ounces cooked, you do not want to log 3 ounces raw. Its just something to be aware of, an easy mistake to make.1 -
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@StaciMarie1974 i always use the weight of my food before grilling, cooking, etc. I always try to use the "verified" MFB calorie estimates for food, too, unless there's none verified or has that green check mark, then I make the best selection I can. I buy wild catch salmon, too.0
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Please try to accept that you can't lose 2 lbs a week when you only have 58 to lose. Reset to 1 lbs a week and then tighten up your logging. You'll be able to stick to it much easier and it will show in the scale. Also, you'll get improved accuracy weighing in grams instead of ounces. Keep going - you'll get there!3
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Just wanted to point out some potential database pitfalls.
We've all made 'rookie' mistakes. I sometimes buy frozen potatoes, bake in the oven. For a while I was weighing them after baking, and logging from the nutrition label. At some point it dawned on me that the 85 grams serving size on the label was frozen weight...@StaciMarie1974 i always use the weight of my food before grilling, cooking, etc. I always try to use the "verified" MFB calorie estimates for food, too, unless there's none verified or has that green check mark, then I make the best selection I can. I buy wild catch salmon, too.
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Are you using correct entries? That salmon entry, for example, seems low -- you don't say whether it was raw or cooked, but USDA shows *three* ounces of cooked salmon to be 156, and your entry says 150 for 6. That's a huge calorie error.
Three ounces raw are also 124, so regardless of raw or cooked, you're off in that one.
I don't like to tell people that they're eating more than they think, because I meticulously log and still bang my head into a wall at stalls, but you definitely are eating more than you think you are.0 -
@collectingblues ....then maybe MFP should have more accurate calorie counts and needs to be more specific. It doesn't help if MFP associates the wrong calories with the food.1
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@ladyreva78 what does TDEE mean?0
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Right, but it's a user-generated database. Accurate logging is up to you. Did you *really* think that six ounces of salmon or nearly 3 oz of chicken breast had that few calories? Or did you just want to think that?
Use this for accurate counts: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list. Then search in here for the food item number.
So you can either blame MFP, or you can start using USDA and pulling the item numbers to search in here. Up to you.10 -
@collectingblues ....then maybe MFP should have more accurate calorie counts and needs to be more specific. It doesn't help if MFP associates the wrong calories with the food.
Problem is that the database is updated by MFP users and sometimes we goof. Try getting the USDA stats.
(Example: instead of typing 'raw salmon' into the database, do 'raw salmon USDA'.)
They're usually accurate.2 -
Wild caught salmon actually is about 25-28 calories per ounce raw. Wild caught is lean while farm raised is not. Depends on the source.collectingblues wrote: »Right, but it's a user-generated database. Accurate logging is up to you. Did you *really* think that six ounces of salmon or nearly 3 oz of chicken breast had that few calories? Or did you just want to think that?
Use this for accurate counts: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list. Then search in here for the food item number.
So you can either blame MFP, or you can start using USDA and pulling the item numbers to search in here. Up to you.
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Wild caught, skinless...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Skinless-Salmon-Fillets-2-lbs/24034109#about-item1 -
@collectingblues the usda site you linked me to doesn't give calorie count. Is it suppose to? I put in this type of salmon on the usda site search box and this came up but no calorie count.https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4687?manu=&fgcd=&ds=0
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