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Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »@Anxiety89 : Give it time. Set a short-term goal of eating exactly on plan. Say 2 weeks. Your body will adapt and the hunger will get better.
Lots of comments about macros above. Note that the macro breakdown doesn't (much) influence weight loss, just the total amount of calories. You can experiment with different breakdowns (meaning different foods) and see how it goes).
It pays to take up a hobby that distracts from eating. It helps me to get out of the house more. My hardest days are when I work from home!
You can also experiment with timing your eating: eating breakfast later so you can eat dinner later and go to bed feeling more sated. Or, maybe you love breakfast and can lighten your lunch (turn into two snacks, for example).
Best of luck!
Thanks very much! I appreciate the helpful tips.0 -
An important unanswered question is how much are you actually losing per week on average and for how long. What we aim for and what is estimated to happen is not always exactly what ends up happening!1
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And linked to the question above:
Perhaps I missed it earlier in the thread, but what activity level are you set at? Because you sound like a busy mom with an active life, even if you aren't technically exercising. If you set your activity level too low (and/ or you have a higher metabolism than average) you could be in a more aggressive calorie deficit than you think, which might explain the hunger.1 -
PS: I took a look at your diary.
Nothing major jumps out at me, but a few thoughts:
- I see rice stick vermicelle, 100+ grams at dinner: are you weighing uncooked or cooked? Because your calorie count looks to be for the uncooked weight (400+ calories). If you're weighing cooked, you are very much exaggerating your calorie intake.
- although eating high protein helps a little, my personal experience is that eating breakfast increases my hunger. What works for me it to have either no breakfast or a late one 8.30-9.30AM. You might be wired differently, but it's worth experimenting with meal timings and splitting calories differently throughout the day
- sugary snacks (including sweetened coffee) increase my cravings
- I see vegetables on some days, but very few on others. Overall I would need a lot more vegetables (and fruit) to be happy and satiated.1 -
PS: I took a look at your diary.
Nothing major jumps out at me, but a few thoughts:
- I see rice stick vermicelle, 100+ grams at dinner: are you weighing uncooked or cooked? Because your calorie count looks to be for the uncooked weight (400+ calories). If you're weighing cooked, you are very much exaggerating your calorie intake.
- although eating high protein helps a little, my personal experience is that eating breakfast increases my hunger. What works for me it to have either no breakfast or a late one 8.30-9.30AM. You might be wired differently, but it's worth experimenting with meal timings and splitting calories differently throughout the day
- sugary snacks (including sweetened coffee) increase my cravings
- I see vegetables on some days, but very few on others. Overall I would need a lot more vegetables (and fruit) to be happy and satiated.
I weigh everything on my food scale after its cooked. I'm not sure if that's correct or not. What is th3 difference weighing uncooked, and cooked? And what is proper way?
Thanks kindly
But I just weigh in today, and I've only lost 2 pounds....so that's disappointing, I thought with all the hunger and difficulty adjusting I'd have lost some weight... I guess I'm not working hard enough.
I'll ramp up my vegetables , thank you for that. I'm going to get a protein powder too, try making shakes and things and adding that to them, perhaps help with the feeling fuller, eating less to lose more. I felt different in my tummy but I guess that was all in my head cause I wouldn't notice a small 2lb loss...
October 19 I was 179
Today I'm 177 , that's terrible!
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With the kindest intention possible, I want to tell you: ease up on yourself a little! Two lbs in 11 days is a great start. Weight loss is not linear, ideally you need a month to evaluate progress. And for some people it takes a few weeks for hunger to settle down.
Successful weight-loss requires, above all, patience, consistency and a willingness to experiment to find what works for you.
As for weighing cooked or uncooked: the difference can be significant.
Most food entries, unless explicitly mentioning a cooking method, are for the uncooked food.
I prefer weighing uncooked for most foods (slightly more accurate) but it's a matter of preference. The important thing is to use an entry that corresponds with what you're weighing.
Rice, pasta and noodles are always around 350-375 calories for 100gr uncooked.
These foods will absorb water during cooking and become much heavier and more voluminous for the same total number of calories.
I weigh my rice and pasta uncooked, so I'm not sure of the precise number, but I can imagine 100gr of uncooked pasta becoming 250gr of cooked pasta. So those 125gr of noodles you're having may have less than 200 calories instead of the 400+ you've been logging.
Other foods will lose weight/moisture when cooked, making them more calorie dense than in their raw state. So, for example, if you weigh a chicken filet after cooking but use a raw food entry, that would be undercounting the number of calories.
5 -
With the kindest intention possible, I want to tell you: ease up on yourself a little! Two lbs in 11 days is a great start. Weight loss is not linear, ideally you need a month to evaluate progress. And for some people it takes a few weeks for hunger to settle down.
Successful weight-loss requires, above all, patience, consistency and a willingness to experiment to find what works for you.
As for weighing cooked or uncooked: the difference can be significant.
Most food entries, unless explicitly mentioning a cooking method, are for the uncooked food.
I prefer weighing uncooked for most foods (slightly more accurate) but it's a matter of preference. The important thing is to use an entry that corresponds with what you're weighing.
Rice, pasta and noodles are always around 350-375 calories for 100gr uncooked.
These foods will absorb water during cooking and become much heavier and more voluminous for the same total number of calories.
I weigh my rice and pasta uncooked, so I'm not sure of the precise number, but I can imagine 100gr of uncooked pasta becoming 250gr of cooked pasta. So those 125gr of noodles you're having may have less than 200 calories instead of the 400+ you've been logging.
Other foods will lose weight/moisture when cooked, making them more calorie dense than in their raw state. So, for example, if you weigh a chicken filet after cooking but use a raw food entry, that would be undercounting the number of calories.
Ohhhhhh, that makes perfect sense. Thank you!
I get it now. I'll start doing uncooked and see how that goes/changes things.
Thanks so much for your advice and support!2 -
PS: I took a look at your diary.
Nothing major jumps out at me, but a few thoughts:
- I see rice stick vermicelle, 100+ grams at dinner: are you weighing uncooked or cooked? Because your calorie count looks to be for the uncooked weight (400+ calories). If you're weighing cooked, you are very much exaggerating your calorie intake.
- although eating high protein helps a little, my personal experience is that eating breakfast increases my hunger. What works for me it to have either no breakfast or a late one 8.30-9.30AM. You might be wired differently, but it's worth experimenting with meal timings and splitting calories differently throughout the day
- sugary snacks (including sweetened coffee) increase my cravings
- I see vegetables on some days, but very few on others. Overall I would need a lot more vegetables (and fruit) to be happy and satiated.
I weigh everything on my food scale after its cooked. I'm not sure if that's correct or not. What is th3 difference weighing uncooked, and cooked? And what is proper way?
Thanks kindly
But I just weigh in today, and I've only lost 2 pounds....so that's disappointing, I thought with all the hunger and difficulty adjusting I'd have lost some weight... I guess I'm not working hard enough.
I'll ramp up my vegetables , thank you for that. I'm going to get a protein powder too, try making shakes and things and adding that to them, perhaps help with the feeling fuller, eating less to lose more. I felt different in my tummy but I guess that was all in my head cause I wouldn't notice a small 2lb loss...
October 19 I was 179
Today I'm 177 , that's terrible!
You can weight cooked or uncooked; what's important is that the entry you choose is also for cooked or uncooked. Your "Y & Y - Rice Stick Vermicelle" doesn't specify, and probably refers to uncooked, given 414 calories for 115 grams.
All cookable foods from the USDA database will specify their state. (Uncooked pasta might say "dry" and there are other synonyms for "raw.")
Unfortunately, the green check marks in the MFP database are used for both USER-created entries and ADMIN-created entries that MFP pulled from the USDA database. A green check mark for USER-created entries just means enough people have upvoted the entry - it is not necessarily correct.
To find ADMIN entries for whole foods, I get the syntax from the USDA database and paste that into MFP. All ADMIN entries from the USDA will have weights as an option BUT there is a glitch whereby sometimes 1g is the option but the values are actually for 100g. This is pretty easy to spot though, as when added the calories are 100x more than is reasonable.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Use the “SR Legacy” tab - that's what MFP used to pull in entries.
Note: any MFP entry that includes "USDA" was USER entered.
For packaged foods, I verify the label against what I find in MFP. (Alas, you cannot just scan with your phone and assume what you get is correct. Note: scanning is mostly only available with Premium these days.)
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PS: I took a look at your diary.
Nothing major jumps out at me, but a few thoughts:
- I see rice stick vermicelle, 100+ grams at dinner: are you weighing uncooked or cooked? Because your calorie count looks to be for the uncooked weight (400+ calories). If you're weighing cooked, you are very much exaggerating your calorie intake.
- although eating high protein helps a little, my personal experience is that eating breakfast increases my hunger. What works for me it to have either no breakfast or a late one 8.30-9.30AM. You might be wired differently, but it's worth experimenting with meal timings and splitting calories differently throughout the day
- sugary snacks (including sweetened coffee) increase my cravings
- I see vegetables on some days, but very few on others. Overall I would need a lot more vegetables (and fruit) to be happy and satiated.
I weigh everything on my food scale after its cooked. I'm not sure if that's correct or not. What is th3 difference weighing uncooked, and cooked? And what is proper way?
Thanks kindly
But I just weigh in today, and I've only lost 2 pounds....so that's disappointing, I thought with all the hunger and difficulty adjusting I'd have lost some weight... I guess I'm not working hard enough.
I'll ramp up my vegetables , thank you for that. I'm going to get a protein powder too, try making shakes and things and adding that to them, perhaps help with the feeling fuller, eating less to lose more. I felt different in my tummy but I guess that was all in my head cause I wouldn't notice a small 2lb loss...
October 19 I was 179
Today I'm 177 , that's terrible!
You're set to lose a half pound a week and in less than two weeks you've lost 2 pounds, so you're actually doing great
Use a weight trending app such as Happy Scale (iphone) or Libra (Android) and focus on the trend, not the individual weigh-ins. I have Happy Scale and use the “Moving Average” as my official weight.
Women with menstrual cycles may get lots of fluctuations throughout the month. This can be frustrating, but a trending app can help. Focus on the trend, not the individual weigh-ins, and only compare yourself with the same point in as last cycle.1 -
And linked to the question above:
Perhaps I missed it earlier in the thread, but what activity level are you set at? Because you sound like a busy mom with an active life, even if you aren't technically exercising. If you set your activity level too low (and/ or you have a higher metabolism than average) you could be in a more aggressive calorie deficit than you think, which might explain the hunger.
Yes, as a busy mom with an active life, don't use Sedentary for your activity level 0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »spiriteagle99 wrote: »Have you chosen too aggressive a goal? Losing 2 lbs a week is too much for most people, but a lot of people assume they should be able to do that. That's a 1000 calorie deficit, which is huge. Better to choose a slower rate of loss and be able to continue for a while than to lose quickly but be unable to sustain it. That always leads to weight regain. Finding a level of calories that you can continue to follow over the long term works much better.
What do you weigh and what is your goal? How many calories are you aiming for? Are you eating back your exercise calories? If you are using MFP as intended, you should be eating them back.
Thanks
Last I checked, I was 176. And I'm just starting out with food changes, I haven't even tackled excercise yet. Eating was my worst issue so I'm dealing with that First. I bought dumbells, and resistance bands, haven't figured out a workout yet.
I just plugged in all my numbers and let mfp tell me what I should be eating for a day in the amount of macros.
My goal is to be 130-135 lbs.
Is your weekly weight loss goal 2 pounds per week? I suggest dropping it to 1 pound per week, and enjoy those extra calories!
It says my goal is 0.5lbs a week
I just left it at that
0.5 isn't much at all
Should it not be this?
Hmm, with this weekly weight loss goal you should be getting enough calories to not feel hungry. Maybe some of your entries are wrong. Please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public. In the app, go to Settings > Diary Setting > Diary Sharing > and check Public. Desktop: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
I did it. I think
Alas, it is still not Public.
Now?
Yes, thanks!
Would you please swap something, perhaps Sugar or Sodium, if you have no medical need to track them, for Fiber?
Meeting, or better yet exceeding, your fiber goal (with foods containing fiber; not just a supplement) can help with satiety.
Increase fiber slowly though - your digestive system will be unhappy if you don't
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Several cups of coffee help me from hunger, and apples are also good at dulling hunger3
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Why in rhe world do you think losing 2 lbs in just over a week is failing??? 2 lbs is the most you should be losing if you are significantly overwight. You need to adjust your expectations.5
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Just wanted to echo what a lot of people have shared that has also worked for me:
- Be patient and give yourself time to see results/decide if something is sustainable. I've made a promise to myself to give something new at least two weeks before I revert back.
- Look at long term averages vs daily or weekly "fluctuations". I personally weigh every day, but look at my 4 or 6 week average to see if I'm "on track". For example, I only weigh 0.2 lbs less today than I did a week ago, but a mid-week weigh in was 1 lb lower than I was today. I'm not worried about either number because my 6 week average loss is 1.2 lbs/week (using the 0.2 lb loss for the past week).
- Find things to focus on other than the number on the scale. In my progress tracker I record weight, VO2 from my Apple health app, % weight loss since starting, and current BMI once a week, measurements (neck, arm, bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf) once a month, and other "victories" (A1C levels back to normal, waist to hip ratio below 0.8, jogging a mile in under 12 minutes, etc) as they happen.
- Find meals that are "auto-pilot" for meeting your nutrition goals for 1, then 2, and maybe even 3 of your meals. I started with breakfast (high protein and high fiber - usually chicken sausages wrapped in a high fiber tortilla). Once breakfast felt "normal" to me, I started playing with lunch - usually a meal prepped or bagged salad kit with chicken (high fiber, high protein, high volume). That means dinner is the only meal I'm worried about accommodating the rest of the family's preferences. I've found some dishes that fit my nutrition goals that they'll eat in the same form I want to eat them, but most of the time I'm doing as others have suggested and reducing the portion of some of the items for my serving, or subbing vegetables or a higher fiber version of what they're eating. I typically cook up enough brown rice for my weekly meals so I'm not cooking both brown and white rice on those nights.
- Give your body time to adjust to changes. I can definitely say that tears have been shed on multiple occasions as I anticipated that my current change was not going to be sustainable and I would never lose any weight and would die an early death and not be able to fit in a coffin...... Only to find a week later that I was loving life and losing weight and couldn't imagine undoing that change. And that includes the fiber journey where I was firmly convinced the human body was not meant to consume the target 25 g of fiber. Now I am at 40 or 50g of fiber many days and don't have any of the digestive discomfort I did before.
- Try a mindset of "adding activity" vs "adding exercise". I think it might be worth investing in a pedometer to see how many steps you are getting in (probably more than you think, as a busy mom) and that might help you figure out the appropriate activity level in MFP. Then you can add activities you enjoy that improve fitness and burn calories. I added in walking my dogs, working up to 3.5 miles a day, which has improved my fitness/stamina, and earns me about 300 more calories a day to eat. Now I'm working on finding an activity that I enjoy that will help with flexibility and strength.
- Find a balance where you feel like you are investing the amount of time you feel you can "afford" in your health. For me, that's an hour a day of walking plus an extra minute or two here and there to measure and log my eating. When I started out, it took me a lot more time to measure and log (and enter recipes) and I was stressed out and felt alone. I shared those feelings with hubby and we figured out that him joining me on my walks or taking over another chore made me feel like I could take that extra time. Now we need to figure out how to get me an extra 20-30 minutes a day so I can do yoga AND walk, or I need to adjust my expectations of myself so that I stay in a place of balance.
3 -
musicfan68 wrote: »Why in rhe world do you think losing 2 lbs in just over a week is failing??? 2 lbs is the most you should be losing if you are significantly overwight. You need to adjust your expectations.
Very low self esteem issues
And no support system, with a lot of negativity. I should be proud of any progress,you're right.
Thanks for pointing that out. We are always the hardest on ourselves.
8 -
Just wanted to echo what a lot of people have shared that has also worked for me:
- Be patient and give yourself time to see results/decide if something is sustainable. I've made a promise to myself to give something new at least two weeks before I revert back.
- Look at long term averages vs daily or weekly "fluctuations". I personally weigh every day, but look at my 4 or 6 week average to see if I'm "on track". For example, I only weigh 0.2 lbs less today than I did a week ago, but a mid-week weigh in was 1 lb lower than I was today. I'm not worried about either number because my 6 week average loss is 1.2 lbs/week (using the 0.2 lb loss for the past week).
- Find things to focus on other than the number on the scale. In my progress tracker I record weight, VO2 from my Apple health app, % weight loss since starting, and current BMI once a week, measurements (neck, arm, bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf) once a month, and other "victories" (A1C levels back to normal, waist to hip ratio below 0.8, jogging a mile in under 12 minutes, etc) as they happen.
- Find meals that are "auto-pilot" for meeting your nutrition goals for 1, then 2, and maybe even 3 of your meals. I started with breakfast (high protein and high fiber - usually chicken sausages wrapped in a high fiber tortilla). Once breakfast felt "normal" to me, I started playing with lunch - usually a meal prepped or bagged salad kit with chicken (high fiber, high protein, high volume). That means dinner is the only meal I'm worried about accommodating the rest of the family's preferences. I've found some dishes that fit my nutrition goals that they'll eat in the same form I want to eat them, but most of the time I'm doing as others have suggested and reducing the portion of some of the items for my serving, or subbing vegetables or a higher fiber version of what they're eating. I typically cook up enough brown rice for my weekly meals so I'm not cooking both brown and white rice on those nights.
- Give your body time to adjust to changes. I can definitely say that tears have been shed on multiple occasions as I anticipated that my current change was not going to be sustainable and I would never lose any weight and would die an early death and not be able to fit in a coffin...... Only to find a week later that I was loving life and losing weight and couldn't imagine undoing that change. And that includes the fiber journey where I was firmly convinced the human body was not meant to consume the target 25 g of fiber. Now I am at 40 or 50g of fiber many days and don't have any of the digestive discomfort I did before.
- Try a mindset of "adding activity" vs "adding exercise". I think it might be worth investing in a pedometer to see how many steps you are getting in (probably more than you think, as a busy mom) and that might help you figure out the appropriate activity level in MFP. Then you can add activities you enjoy that improve fitness and burn calories. I added in walking my dogs, working up to 3.5 miles a day, which has improved my fitness/stamina, and earns me about 300 more calories a day to eat. Now I'm working on finding an activity that I enjoy that will help with flexibility and strength.
- Find a balance where you feel like you are investing the amount of time you feel you can "afford" in your health. For me, that's an hour a day of walking plus an extra minute or two here and there to measure and log my eating. When I started out, it took me a lot more time to measure and log (and enter recipes) and I was stressed out and felt alone. I shared those feelings with hubby and we figured out that him joining me on my walks or taking over another chore made me feel like I could take that extra time. Now we need to figure out how to get me an extra 20-30 minutes a day so I can do yoga AND walk, or I need to adjust my expectations of myself so that I stay in a place of balance.
Thank you so very much! I'm so grateful for all of this information and amazing tips and support.
Everyone has been so helpful just when I felt alone and like I was failing, everyone replied it wa such and overwhelming feeling. I can't thank you enough. So so helpful!
I don't know how to send a ty to this entire thread because I'm a newbie but thank you everyone!!!5 -
musicfan68 wrote: »Why in rhe world do you think losing 2 lbs in just over a week is failing??? 2 lbs is the most you should be losing if you are significantly overwight. You need to adjust your expectations.
Very low self esteem issues
And no support system, with a lot of negativity. I should be proud of any progress,you're right.
Thanks for pointing that out. We are always the hardest on ourselves.
Sending hugs because we all need them sometimes. You're doing well! Weight loss just takes time and commitment, and a proper reason for doing it.
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Two pounds in less than two weeks is more than double your goal, so step back and think about that.
A quick look at your diary shows that most days you are coming in FAR BELOW your goal. That would explain the higher-than-expected weight loss, and it also can explain some of the hunger. It also looks like there's not a lot of vegetables in there. Vegetables are usually low-calorie and higher fiber and can help fill you up. Daily vegetable intake the past week looks like:- Five grape tomatoes
- Five grape tomatoes and some broccoli florets (although it was a nice sized serving of broccoli!)
- None, unless you count hashbrowns
- Some bell pepper
- Some broccoli
- Bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini (this looks a little better, and you were still under your calorie goal)
- Nothing (but one banana)
If you can find a way to eat more fresh vegetables, you might find they fill you up and help keep your calories down.
Your average calorie intake is 163 calories below your goal. If your goal is set correctly, and I'm not sure if it is, you should try to hit it on average over several days. If you consistently eat less than your goal, it's as if you had a lower goal. It's a tough balance, and it takes a while to dial it in. Keep tracking honestly and accurately, then you can use the results compared to what you expect to revise your goal.
You can do this. Don't be in a rush. Your weight gain didn't happen in a month, and you won't get to your goal quickly and still have a healthy diet.
The main thing is to stick to it, and if you do have a day when things go off the rails, don't let it bother you. Just move on and then keep sticking to it.2
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