I am so frustrated with my weight loss.

I found the whole 30 to be a great reset of habits and palette change. It helped me give soda up completely where I was having multiple cans of diet soda a day. I lost about 10 lbs but that wasn't my goal. My goal was to see how certain a foods were affecting me. Now, it was time to count calories and stay within a deficit. This is easier now that I have knew habits and know that I can fit whatever I really want into my calories. For me, a really good sandwich is higher on my list than pasta. The key is to eat the foods you really want and pass on foods that aren't worth it. It's also about being kind to yourself. I posted something earlier this weekend that I will try to find and post for you.

It's not silly. There's a lot of crazy advice out there about losing mega amounts of weight overnight. It really screws with our expectations on what healthy, sustainable weight loss really looks like.

Maybe you need to decide what you REALLY want to accomplish: quick short term losses which are certainly possible but almost always unsustainable or permanent change? The latter is going to require you to learn new skills and spend a LOT OF TIME making them permanent habits. And don't be so quick to swear that you want long term loss, your choice of a 30 day drastic diet change suggests that you're looking for a quick fix. I suggest really searching your heart for what you're truly prepared to commit to. In my opinion, this is the single most important step for you to take. I say this not to be hurtful, but with a true desire for you to succeed.

If you want long term success, you need to figure out a realistic eating plan that you can live with over the long run. That will mean adding in the foods you enjoy eating (even the junky fast food) but doing it in a way that fits your calories whether in a deficit to lose weight, at maintenance, or in a surplus to gain weight (it probably sounds crazy right now, but the day may come where you want to gain weight so you can build muscle).

And by the way, it would be easy to feel a tinge of disappointment when you compare yourself to your husband, but try really hard not to do it. You are two completely different human beings. Celebrate your success and his equally. You're on the road to better health. Congratulations to you both.

thieambe wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

thieambe wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

So do you know what you calorie intake is supposed to be? Eating like him doesn't sound right because MEN usually need more calories than females. And men just naturally lose more than females do when it comes to weight loss due to differential in hormones.
Also how long was this? A month?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

When I say eating like my husband, it was pretty much like this:

1-2 Steamed Chicken Breasts, a steak for dinner (sometimes), a salad with more veggies, and maybe a banana (or two, if we were feeling like fatties).

So, if anything, we were under-eating.

There's only so many chicken breasts and salads you can eat in a day to eat too much, I think, but I could be wrong.

Maybe starvation mode? Though I keep hearing that's a myth. So.

No fat? Whole 30 encourages a certain amount of fat at each of your 3 meals...
And you lost weight, which means you were in a deficit to lose 2lbs a week whether you calculated it or not!

Ah yes, we did cook the meat in Grape Seed or Coconut Oil.

Did you log/count the oil in your calories?

Start counting the calories. I buy frozen chicken breasts but there is such a variation in size the only accurate way I know how much I am eating is to weigh my portion on a digital scale and log the calories here on MFP. Same for other foods. Bananas vary in size, a smallish apple is actually 2 servings if you weigh it. See how easy it is to overeat even the good food? A baked potato is good but again the size varies and you could be eating double the calories you need. The reason I like the MFP program is that I can build in for treats, don't have to eliminate any foods that I really like. Just limit them to serving size, and log the calories. The hardest part for me is getting a handle on the serving sizes. It takes a while to get in the habit of weighing everything. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. It really is not a competition but is all about you. As others have said, men need more calories than women to maintain. Good luck on your continued weight loss journey. You are off to a good start with 8 lbs gone!

annahath150 wrote: »

Eating a well-balanced diet and eating smaller servings of food every two hours. I was stuck with 35lbs extra weight and "Mummy magic weight loss tea" also helped me shedding those pounds.

meal timing has no effect on weight loss and those teas dont help you to lose weight,if you lost weight its because you were in a deficit.

thieambe wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

You haven't once mentioned counting calories or being in a deficit. Calories are what matters for weight loss. I could eat the same food as my husband and end up the size of a house due to my ability to eat more than I need quite easily. He's more active than me due to work, is a man, and naturally needs more calories just to survive.

I did a whole 90 and gained weight. The types of foods you eat aren't going to change whether you lose or gain - you need to determine your calorie goal for weight loss, then get a food scale and weigh all solids, measure all liquids, and accurately log everything you put in your mouth.

I guess you're not supposed to count calories while doing it, but I did the first few days. A couple chicken breasts, a steak for dinner sometimes, a baked potato, salad/carrots/sugar snap peas, and if we were feeling extra crazy maybe a banana.

These are generally low-calorie foods I though :-/

No ... Not as low as you think. But more on that in a moment.

And please remember in order to lose 2 pounds per week, you're carrying a deficit of 1000 calories per day. We're trying to solve a problem that's not actually a problem. Unless you're a little person (like Peter Dinklage), a faster rate of weight loss could be unhealthy. To be honest, your husband's seems that way. A pound a day means he lost a lot lean mass along with that fat. The human body can only metabolize so much fat in a day. After that, it uses lean mass (muscle) for energy. Which most folks want to minimize.

Depending on the size, and our view of portions is typically pretty distorted, the steak alone could be 700-800 calories (8 oz--depends on cut). This coming from someone who cuts them down into (pathetically small-looking) 3-4 oz portions before cooking. Bananas are often 100 calories each. They vary greatly and really need to be weighed to know.

Eating when you lose the weight should be the way you continue to eat after losing is the way to keep the weight off. That's why "diets" really don't work. Folks eat one way to lose the weight, and it all comes back on when they go back to their old habits.

If you don't like Whole 30, that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. People have different taste buds and find different foods filling. If hubby likes it, great! But if you don't, why make yourself miserable omitting major food groups if you don't have to?

See your doctor and get some tests run. See if doc can refer you to an RD (Registered Dietician) to help you find your eating plan.

I lost my weight, about 115 pounds, eating what I wanted in moderation.

You've done great so far! Don't compare yourself to your husband. Our bodies are so different it's beyond comparing apples and oranges, it's like comparing apples and sea urchins.