I don't know anymore

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Hdanica21
Hdanica21 Posts: 3 Member
edited February 2022 in Health and Weight Loss
I've struggled all my life with weight. Always been the chubby kid and in highschool, I was very athletic, to the point where I didn't eat more than an orange a day. I was so thin and I still thought I was huge. Fast forward, since Covid, quarantine, the end of a relationship, moving, and loss of job, I've put on around 40ish lbs. I'm the heaviest I've ever been and I said that's it. I need to do something. I work out 5x a week now, weights and cardio. I have looked up my calories and what I should be eating in protein, carbs, and fats . I lost weight the first month, hitting 10 lbs fairly quickly and now im here, staying the same. I feel so frustrated and disappointed. I know things to happen over night but, now I'm gaining a few lbs back?? Still at only 10lbs. What am I doing wrong. I need advice, help, harsh truth, honest answers, anything...

Replies

  • Bridgie3
    Bridgie3 Posts: 139 Member
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    are you hungry? are you able to open your diary? I found cardio makes me carry water, maybe 2kg (4 1/2 lb)

    What do your measurements say?

    Don't be discouraged - there are so many fluctuations in a woman's weight based on water retention and menstrual periods and you name it - weight is less useful than measurements.

    I have struggled pointlessly with my weight all my life and in recent times, diagnosed with diabetes, I've had to get my act together or I'll lose toes or my eyesight... very motivating.

    I've started low carb / high fat for the first time in my life, and have to say it is amazing. I don't get hungry and I have energy. I get over 50% of my calories from fat and it's so satisfying I don't eat any more calories in a day than I ought to. So... it has worked by making me less hungry not through any magical powers of burning calories or anything.
  • Hdanica21
    Hdanica21 Posts: 3 Member
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    I opened it. I've been trying to do 40/40/20 for fats 20. I found online that's what I'm supposed to be doing if I'm weight lifting, which I've recently started! It's so hard to stay away from the scale. I know you're not supposed to weigh every day but it's almost an addiction. But not good for the unmoving weight. I'm not hungry at all, I bumped up my calories. I was not eating enough at the beginning, around 1000 a day barely. But I decided I really wanted to do it healthy and bumped up to 1500 but have been at 1700 for a bit.
  • Hdanica21
    Hdanica21 Posts: 3 Member
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    Also thank you for your response, means alot
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,159 Member
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    I can't look at your diary, it isn't open? Depending on how accurate you are logging, you may be eating more than you think.
    And without knowing your stats (gender, age, height, current weight) is hard to say if 1700 calories sounds like a reasonable number (it was reasonable for me, 5ft5 starting at 200+lbs and sedentary down to currently 135lbs and active.

    But things I can say:
    - patience, patience, patience... Our weight reflects much more than just our fat mass. More than half of our body is water, so water weight fluctuations can easily mask fat loss on the scale. Weight training is notorious for water retention (for muscle repair) which can mask fat loss on the scale. Any new (or increased) exercise can cause water retention, as can stress, hormonal fluctuations... You need 1 to 2 months/menstrual cycles to evaluate whether what you are doing is working. Since you've switched up your calorie intake, I don't think you've reached that period yet? I've had weeks at a time where my weigh-ins were stagnant or even slightly increasing, but then suddenly I'd have a 'woosh' downwards.
    - because weight doesn't say everything, have you been tracking your progress with alternative methods? Progress pictures, measurements, clothes that fit differently?
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 879 Member
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    My advice to you is to use a TDEE calculator to get an estimate of your caloric needs currently --- are you using MFP to log your workout calories burned (cardio)? If so, you can chose 'sedentary' as your activity level and then log/track your workout calories on MFP and it will then add it to your daily goal. I usually suggest people eat somewhere between 50-100% if those calories back depending on how hungry you are per day.

    If you know your TDEE (sedentary) then you can subtract some from that number to create a calorie deficit. You want to stick to a number above your BMR, but below your TDEE. Then log any intentional cardio you do which will then get added back to your daily goal.

    There are various ways you can do this (example: you could use your actual activity level to calculate your TDEE and then simply subtract some calories from that). But that just depends on what you are doing in MFP (what you are logging, etc.) or what's easiest for you.
  • ciaoder
    ciaoder Posts: 119 Member
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    Hdanica21 wrote: »
    I've struggled all my life with weight. Always been the chubby kid and in highschool, I was very athletic, to the point where I didn't eat more than an orange a day. I was so thin and I still thought I was huge...

    ... I need advice, help, harsh truth, honest answers, anything...


    Honest answer?

    The scale and mirror can both be liars so don't make your decisions based solely on what they tell you and don't be discouraged by them. Too many unhealthy decisions are made in response to the scale and mirror...it seems that might be part of your past. Guard yourself against that.






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