CICO

Sharon909
Sharon909 Posts: 46 Member
edited 4:18PM in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying to lose weight since January 22nd. Since then I have lost 10 lbs. Its slow and frustrating. I'm entering my food diary every day and trying to make healthy choices.

For breakfast I usually have 2 hardboiled eggs. Or 1 egg with a piece of fruit. Or one protein shake with a piece of fruit. For lunch I meal prep and usually have 4 oz of grilled chicken with 1/4 cup of rice or couscous and veggies (spinach or zucchini or peppers, etc.) For snack I have a greek yogurt. Dinner last night was one chicken thigh with half a cup of pasta salad. The night before was one cup of mac n cheese made with broccoli, peas and carrots. (So normal dinners but I make my plate like I'm going to serve my 9 year old) and then if I get a treat lately its a Yasso bar.

Every now and then I go 'off script' and have a donut or croissant or a glass of wine...but its never too far out of my calorie goal...I am drinking a minimum of 48 oz of water a day.

I am currently 196. MFP says my calorie goal is 1200 but I also know that is the default. So I did the math and it should be like 995 but seriously I cant do that.
My sister is losing faster than me and we have similar stats. She eats meal replacement shakes and hardly any fruits or veggies. It makes me jaded.
My husband is losing faster than me and he cheats so much more than me.
What kind of advice would you give me to lose faster? Or should I just keep doing what I'm doing?

Replies

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    You're losing at a reasonable rate, so you don't need to do anything differently. Eat the number of calories MFP gives you, and be patient. The weight will come off.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    Faster is not better. Worry about you, not what someone else is doing.

    Eat to a goal you can stick to, set yourself up for good long-term habits and do it right the first time. Your sister's method isn't very great anyway.
  • laurenbastug
    laurenbastug Posts: 307 Member
    Are you weighing your food? What's your activity level like?

    I work with a coach, so she helped determined what my deficit calories are but you can play around with a few calculators online to get a rough idea but at the end of the day until you pick a number - track to it consistently and assess if changes are happening - it's hard to say. I don't have any professional experience in this but 1200 does seem quite low.

    Find your TDEE and subtract 500 calories and try that as your starting point. Weigh and track what you eat for 2 weeks and adjust accordingly. If you lose at a rate you are happy with (without feeling deprived) then you're in a good place. If the scale isn't budging, try upping your activity level and see if you can further widen your deficit through burning calories. Cutting back on more calories is the next option if you're not seeing movement on the scale/if you aren't able to get in regular exercise.

    It's a lot of trial and error when it comes to the exact calorie goal and even then it can become a bit of a moving target. It's best to learn your body and how it responds before making drastic changes. Unfortunately doing this does take time and weight loss is a slow process when done the right, healthy, sustainable way.

    Try not to get caught up in the comparisons - it won't help your frustration and it's things that are completely out of control - different sex, genetics, body compositions, metabolisms, etc. all those factor in to our own weight so to try and line up and compare all of that to someone else is pointless.

    I know I struggle with patience too, but try and focus on the long term/sustainable approach instead of quick weight loss. Weigh and track everything you eat - it's the best way to truly ensure you are hitting your calorie goals.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I'd recommend you aim to lose no more than 1 lb/wk for the reasons people have already mentioned. With a TDEE of 1995 that would be a deficit of 500 calories/day or 1495 calories/day. I get the distinct impression this isn't what you want to hear because you're looking for faster and I'm advising to actually slow down.
  • Sharon909
    Sharon909 Posts: 46 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    5lb a month is a good rate of loss.

    Weigh your food instead of using cups.

    Oh and, comparrison is the thief of joy...

    I do weigh my meats and I use a cup for everything else.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Sharon909 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    5lb a month is a good rate of loss.

    Weigh your food instead of using cups.

    Oh and, comparrison is the thief of joy...

    I do weigh my meats and I use a cup for everything else.

    Weigh everything
  • Sharon909
    Sharon909 Posts: 46 Member
    You're basically losing on average about 1 Lb per week which is a good, healthy rate of loss. It's a slow process...this isn't "reality" t.v. so expectations need to be adjusted.[/quote]

    Thanks I guess 'reality TV' has me brainwashed.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited March 2018
    Sharon909 wrote: »
    Thanks I guess 'reality TV' has me brainwashed.

    Remember that a lot (most?) of the reality show people gain it back and then some - don't use them as role models! Think about it, what would you prefer: to lose weight slowly over the course of a year or two and learn how to stay at your awesome lower weight for the rest of your life, or lose weight fast over the course of six months and gain it all back plus ten pounds a year after that? I think people focus way too much on losing, and not enough on how weight management actually works. You can do this, but like others have said, you've got to focus on you and forget about what other people have done or are doing. Good luck!

    Also, I've lost 48 pounds over the last 15 months weighing and logging pretty religiously. My husband has lost at least 20 pounds over the same time frame without trying or reigning in his crazy sweet tooth or late night snacking just because we aren't going out to eat as much. He's male and a foot taller than me. So it goes.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    Sharon909 wrote: »
    Thanks. I'm reviewing my food diary and I am not eating as many veggies as I thought I was so I want to work on that a little, add some consistent exercise and re-evaluate in a few weeks. I know I didn't get fat overnight and its stupid for me to think that I will lose it fast.

    Good for you. While exercise won't allow you to eat like there's no tomorrow, it can certainly give you a few extra calories to work with. And I feel like it needs to be said that you're doing a great job. Give yourself the credit you deserve. All the best.
  • lujako
    lujako Posts: 87 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Weigh everything

    ^^^^^ x 10...it made a ton of difference for me.

  • jludwick78
    jludwick78 Posts: 34 Member
    10 pounds is great. I’ve only lost 2 since Jan 2.
  • MyEvolvingJourney
    MyEvolvingJourney Posts: 369 Member
    Yes, you don't want to lose too fast. You need something sustainable, that you can stick with for life. You don't want to go below 1200 because that's the minimum your body needs. You're doing great!
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