GAINED 10 POUNDS???

I found more bugs in my system!

At this point, I'm sure I'm a rare creature and am having a harder time than the average bear. However, I am not a helpless victim who will toss up her hands to genetic make up. My body requires special circumstances, whether I like it or not. I will fight and I will find a way to lose this weight. She and I are together for life, and as frustrating as all this is, I will not allow us to remain unhappy for the rest of our days. And in the end, she will thank me for it.

I did that BMR thing in the tools section, and it suggests someone of my height/weight burns around 1580 calories daily at rest. So, my calorie goal hasn't necessarily been a 500 calorie deficit, but an assumption that I burn at least 420 calories with normal daily activity. There's no way to tell whether that's true, unless I get one of those fancy contraptions I can't currently afford (what I thought my HRM was when I spent $100 on it). So, I was right in thinking that I spend too much time sitting - because not only do I spend the majority of my day nearly at rest, I do so all in one chunk of time. I need to move more throughout the day, undoubtedly.

Also, I changed my height back to 5' 6" (the half inch wasn't recognized, so it had me as 5' 5") and my calorie goal only went up to 1470. I think I need to update my goals every couple pounds in order to accommodate the new metabolism.

Now, here's the tricky part. I think I have to lower my calorie intake very gradually. Too fast will throw me into starvation mode and plateau. I've only got 270 calories more than the minimum requirement. However, I will worry about the minimum 1200 when I get to it.

Wow. I really hope someone sees this and it helps them. Otherwise, this is going to feel like a very selfish post.

Thank you for the blood diet suggestion, zlopera, but after reading about it, I think I'm going to pass on that particular one. I do plan to reduce processed foods, and eat more raw, and I don't eat a ton of meat, anyway. So, I think that will be close enough.

Keep on keepin' on!

I agree that every body is different, but if you say you eat every couple of hours you are proving my point that to keep up your metabolism it is important to eat throughout the day. And I didn't just mean a large meal - I should clarify - I'm talking about how some people drink coffee when they wake up and then don't eat anything at all until dinner when they consume the rest of their calories in one sitting. My largest meal of the day is also my dinner (and the actual time obviously doesn't matter - your body knows your schedule) but that doesn't mean I'm eating all my calories in one sitting. Most people benefit from spreading out their intake throughout the day.

Thank you both, Chevygrl & dkb! The good news is, this is one thing I've been doing right. I start off with water and something raw (usually a banana) and eat throughout the day, mostly small portions. The last few days have been bigger meals because it was a wedding weekend and I had events to attend. It's funny, because I feel SO full when I eat an actual plate's worth of food now. When I was about 13 years old, I could polish off an entire large pizza and still have room for dessert.

I lump all my daily foods into one because it's faster for me to log that way.

One thing I should mention, though, is that I was exercising very late in the day - crossing over midnight sometimes. I definitely do need to step it up. I need to do it earlier and more often to keep my metabolism up. Burning 400 calories with exercise at 11:30pm and going to bed 2 hours later is going to halt the continued burn I would get if I'd done it in the afternoon.

I am, for sure, sitting way too much. I have to right now, because I have a huge work project. However, I'll need to figure out a way to fit that exercise in.

Thank you!!

So I was looking at your diary, and I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet (too many posts lol) but it matters WHEN you eat your food. You have your diary set so you're just tracking your total food - I highly recommend resetting it so you are keeping track of each meal as you consume them. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks. Because take it from me, even if you are under your calories, if you're eating 85% of your intake at dinner, you will not lose weight. I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat 4-5 small meals rather than 1-3 large. There is a reason that ALL the experts say this. If you don't spread your intake out you will KILL your metabolism. So maybe you should try logging your meals individually and see if this could be part of your problem. I know it was the major factor that kept me at a plateau for a couple months.

Actually, that is completely untrue. Scientific studies have proven that meal timing has absolutely no effect on weight loss. All your body cares about is getting the required number of nutrients every day, regardless of whether they come in in 6 or 7 little meals, or one large meal. There are several different lifestyles where people eat all of their daily calories within a 5 or 6 hour window, usually in one or two meals. The only thing that kills your metabolism is not eating enough total calories to support body function.

I only mentioned this because it 100% worked for me. When I was only eating 1 or 2 large meals (healthy or otherwise - either way, always within my calorie range) I was gaining or maintaining weight. As soon as I began spreading out my consumption and changing when I worked out in relation to my eating, I began losing weight and feeling healthier. I am reluctant to believe in coincidences. I've also only heard of one study that "disproved" this but know of many that say it is beneficial. But again, every body is different. And I wasn't trying to spark a debate, I was just offering support by sharing what helped me.

Yes. Honestly, I don't think there's one right answer for everyone. I'm sure there are studies that prove both. I know a guy who moved his dinner up an hour, and lost 10 pounds. Yet, my bff only eats once or twice a day and has a terrible time with her weight (though she also drinks soda constantly). People can be so incredibly different. My very own brother can eat/drink whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and sit at a desk all day. He weighs about 15 pounds less than I, and he's 6' 2". He also doesn't exercise. Same parents. Personally, I think my body is the kind who likes to eat throughout the day, up until about 4 hours before bed time. I bet once I'm stricter about that, I'll drop a few, too.

Thanks for your input, too, Tigersword!