No success!?!?

Sarah I am not sure I am one to give advice since I just started today but it looks like you are doing pretty well. I think it just takes a while for some people to get started. I have done diet and exercise before and got discouraged and quit after a few weeks because I felt I was working hard but not seeing any results. I would say just stick with it and make sure to watch your Sodium too it can cause you to retain water and can add weight and it seems everything has too much sodium in it anymore (sodium is a killer for me). I think you are doing great.

It doesn't look like you are logging your water intake. Make sure you are getting enough water...especially with doing an intense treadmill workout.

My other suggestion is trying to replace some of the processed foods with real foods. For instance, instead of the peaches in light syrup, go for an actual peach.

Also, on your workouts, are you only doing cardio? It's my experience that you need cardio and strength training.

The only thing I see is that your sodium is fairly high and I don't see where you are drinking any water. On some days I know my sodium levels are off the chart but on those days I really really really try to drink EXTRA water. I generaly get in 6-7 glasses a day. On my high sodium days I add an extra 2 glasses if not more. If you are drinking your water then I am not sure where the issue is. I know I try to eat a lower calorie meal in the evening, just a personal preferance, but it helps me. I also DO NOT eat past 7:00 PM unless I just have too. Some nights are crazy and I do have to eat my dinner later then I really want too but for the most part I don't. Simply because I feel like it helps me out in the long run. Plus I go walking with my dog in the evening and I want to make sure I have digested enough before we head out. Keep doing what you are doing, you will see a change!

I agree that Sodium is a huge factor, it's something that I try and keep an eye on after I realized when I joined MFP that it was my biggest problem area! I also started tracking my Sugar which is very easy to go over on. Your diary looks great though and it may just take some time. I'm on day 11 of being healthier and on MFP and my body is still adjusting to the new diet/exercise. Definitely consider maybe replacing your 'Cholesterol' option in your diary with 'Sugar' just to see if managing it more closely gives you better results? I'm not an expert but that's what I did and I believe that Sugar/Sodium are huge factors.
All the best!!

I see a lot of carbs. A lot of sugar. A lot of processed crap (pop tarts, miracle whip, honey nut cheerios)

Try slashing all that sugar from your diet in favor of more protein, complex carbs, and WATER.


Also, it looks like you're logging cereal but not the milk?

Congrats on getting started again, and for asking for help.
I think the following things would help you:

1. Mix up your workouts. Don't just do the treadmill every day. You will get tired of it very quickly. I recommend Jillian's 30 Day Shred. It is a great workout in only 20 mins, and the moves vary so you don't feel like you're doing the same thing over and over. You will need hand weights. People just starting out tend to start with 3 pound weights and move up as you get stronger.

2. Eat more calories. Using the stats you gave, I looked up your estimated BMR (1978) and TDEE (2740 if you do nothing other than work out for 30 mins per day). Even subtracting 1000 from your TDEE (giving you an estimated weight loss of 2 pounds per week) would give you a calorie goal of 1740. Just remember your TDEE already includes exercise calories, so you wouldn't add those in again (not that you have been so far).

3. Improve the quality of your food. I agree with the other posters: less processed food and less sodium. Maybe you could try steamed rice and/or steamed veggies? Use fresh, natural, unprocessed ingredients in place of prepackaged foods when you can.

4. Keep going! Keep trying, stay motivated, and keep asking questions (and learning from other people's questions) on MFP's boards. Learn from the many success stories on here!

besides not eating enough, it is actually quite possible that you are over-exercising.

Fat burn is accomplished at a lower BPM than aerobic fitness is. Do you have a Heart Rate Monitor? I finally invested in one, and I think I've discovered how I could have spent over a YEAR doing an hour of high-intensity workouts at the YMCA without losing an ounce...

My source of info for this comes mainly from "Fit or Fat" by Covert Bailey, where he discusses how extremely obese people should exercise for long periods of time at rather LOW intensity, otherwise their "fat burner" just shuts off. Yes, you'll have a healthy heart, but still be fat.

When I started slowing down my workouts and eating more, I started (and, I've just started!!) losing weight.

you are eating too few calories.

You are eating too many processed foods. Some of that stuff is barely classed as proper food.

You meed more lean proteins , fresh fruits and vegetables.

Good luck

Though I agree with what others have said (eating healthier, keeping sodium low), I don't think any of those things would keep you from losing weight (especially at the onset and at your starting weight). There are just tons and tons and tons of people losing weight eating all sorts of things and keeping their calories between 1,000-1,200. It is rare, but I've seen folks have a hard time in the beginning. Usually folks start off with a bang and stall down the road, but it is possible to stall at the onset. Sorry to say, I think this is happening to you. I suspect you'll see a huge drop within 4 weeks. This happened to one of my MFP friends. And over the long haul she has averaged 1.5 lbs per week. Keep up the great work and your hard work WILL pay off!!!

Sarah, it looks like you're eating alright. You are under your calorie goal. I don't think there's anything wrong wtih carbs, sugar, salt, etc. if you count calories, and don't go overboard. I mean, you should try to eat healthy food, but you can 'tweak' your diet as you go along and progress and become stronger. Persevere and you will lose weight. Personally, I'd avoid 'chips' though as they don't do anything good for you (except maybe satisfy a craving and If you logged the proper calories in, then 'bravo' to you).

Try using the MFP system to determine your calories. You might be surprised at how well it works.