Why can't I lose weight like everyone else?
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Servilla: Yep, that's exactly what I had, just didn't realize all the sodium...ouch!0
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It really is amazing how much one meal can set you back. I went out to KFC with my section at work for lunch and I literally saw a 4lb weight gain the next day which took a good three days of eating healthy and exercising to get rid of. That was only one meal, imagine how much day after day you're just adding to it.
Needless to say I stopped eating at KFC.0 -
I will try upping my calories, since that is really the only thing I can figure is wrong with me. I don't eat back my exercise calories, so I know my body must think I'm in some sort of starvation mode. I am doing lots of cardio, and circuit training with Jillian Michaels dvd, that has a lot of exercises with weights, squats, and lunges. So I'm hoping my muscles will start to build and hopefully my metabolism will get the idea that it needs to start working with me, and not against me.0
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It really is amazing how much one meal can set you back. I went out to KFC with my section at work for lunch and I literally saw a 4lb weight gain the next day which took a good three days of eating healthy and exercising to get rid of. That was only one meal, imagine how much day after day you're just adding to it.
Needless to say I stopped eating at KFC.
Yes, this is more what it seems like for me, what I eat on the weekend takes me about 3 days to burn off, so I end up starting the next week, at the same amount of weight I was the last week. So I'm really going to have to be careful still what I eat on the weekends, because I don't want to be taking 1 step forward, and then 2 steps back.0 -
I don't understand this obsession with 1200 calories. It's not a magic number that every woman on earth should be at to lose weight. If you're around 200 lbs you need to eat a lot more than 1200 cals to maintain your weight. Start eating at your maintenance level to restore your metabolism to the proper level. Take your maintenance level, subtract 500 from it, and eat that much every day except on one day of the week where you eat at/slightly above maintenance to keep your metabolism high.
The best thing about this is that you don't need to exercise. In fact, it's probably hurting you because you're exercising too much. Go lift some heavy weights and get stronger.
I will speak for myself. I have used 1200 to show that a person (woman/man) shouldn't eat below 1200 calories a day period.
As for exercise, weight training is exercise and no one should only do weight training. Cardio is good for the body.
1) the poster above you said dairy is useless, but I read a paper that showed the best diet for weight loss (even more specifically fat loss) is a high protein high dairy diet.
2) there is nothing magical about 1200 calories, everyone is different, so absolutely any time you say something is absolute, you are absolutely incorrect. Especially if a person is obese, the body has enough fat stores to compensate for a low calorie intake.
To the op:
1) you should try talking to a nutrition professional, you may be a special case, where the norms that work for us average people do not work for you.
2) how long do you try something before you say it doesn't work? If you are upping your calories for a week, that's probably not long enough to know whether or not that intake is good for you. You should give any changes a month to see how they are. Also, don't just look at your average intake. I was in a "plateau" for a month and I realized from my diaries that I was going into my deficit almost half the time. And one night at applebees I ate my whole weeks deficit. But I kept saying "I'm really good most of the time, why isn't it working!?" it wasn't working because a net of 1200 works for me... More than that doesn't, and I wasn't low enough
3) you should get a food scale to make sure you are precise about what you eat. And log like 100 calories if your friend pressures you into trying their amazing desert/ whatever. Those things you don't intend to eat can add up and you have to be honestly accountable for what you eat. Also, you should have a hrm to gauge your output. People have a documented tendency to over estimate how many calories they burn and under estimate their intake
4) unpopular view: if you tried upping calories for a month and gained, you really might have to lower your intake. 1200 isn't magical and doesn't work for everyone.0 -
sometimes I plateu for a week or two but then drop rapidly again. during that plateau though I can notice inches being lost. so maybe you are losing inches as well.0
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Bump0
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I don't understand this obsession with 1200 calories. It's not a magic number that every woman on earth should be at to lose weight. If you're around 200 lbs you need to eat a lot more than 1200 cals to maintain your weight. Start eating at your maintenance level to restore your metabolism to the proper level. Take your maintenance level, subtract 500 from it, and eat that much every day except on one day of the week where you eat at/slightly above maintenance to keep your metabolism high.
The best thing about this is that you don't need to exercise. In fact, it's probably hurting you because you're exercising too much. Go lift some heavy weights and get stronger.
I will speak for myself. I have used 1200 to show that a person (woman/man) shouldn't eat below 1200 calories a day period.
As for exercise, weight training is exercise and no one should only do weight training. Cardio is good for the body.
Why should no one only do weight training? That's a pretty bold statement.0 -
When you are burning calories and consuming very little your body believes that there isn’t enough food sources available and so it’s trying hard to store fat for the next lean times, sure a low cal intake day is ok here and there but we should try and eat/drink at least 1200. I agree with a lot of what every one else is say with some exceptions just keep going and try to maintain the same general calorie intake and eat back some of your exercise calories. Incorporate strength training and measure your self once in a while. I didn’t want to know how big I was around the middle at first but one day I will be able to look back and be glad that I am not that big any more.
Remeber you can do it.0 -
The commonly recommended minimum for men is actually 1500 but it really depends from person to person. If you weigh 200 lbs, you have different a calorie requirement than someone who weighs 120 lbs.
Why should no one only do weight training? That's a pretty bold statement.
Why should a person only weight train and not do any cardio?0 -
First find out what your BMR is. At the very least this is what you should be eating if you exercise. IMO, your calories are too low.0
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My 2 cents... keep the cold cuts if you like them. I know I do, because I'm a teacher and a sandwich is cheap and easy.
Boars head is good quality lunchmeat, but the best is Dietz and Watson Low Sodium Turkey.. Unfortunately in the US it's like 7 dollars a pound, so I only buy it on sale.0 -
The commonly recommended minimum for men is actually 1500 but it really depends from person to person. If you weigh 200 lbs, you have different a calorie requirement than someone who weighs 120 lbs.
Why should no one only do weight training? That's a pretty bold statement.
Why should a person only weight train and not do any cardio?
Cardio is detrimental to recovery and I would prefer to get stronger and bigger. Also, cardio plays no role in both weight change and composition change.0 -
Definitely eat back a portion of your exercise calories. The machines and MFP overestimate (sometimes) so you may not want to eat every single calorie back...but at your weight, you should probably NET 1500-1600 or so and try it for a few weeks.
I started at 258 and am currently 198 and I net 1800 calories a day and eat back my exercise calories. When I tried to eat 1200, even when I Netted 1200, I stalled out.0 -
The commonly recommended minimum for men is actually 1500 but it really depends from person to person. If you weigh 200 lbs, you have different a calorie requirement than someone who weighs 120 lbs.
Why should no one only do weight training? That's a pretty bold statement.
Why should a person only weight train and not do any cardio?
Cardio is detrimental to recovery and I would prefer to get stronger and bigger. Also, cardio plays no role in both weight change and composition change.
But cardio is definitely good for your heart....
I don't see why either one is useless...a combo of strength training and cardio is a great idea for the majority of people who are not only looking to get bigger.0 -
You stated that you can not get enough water. Being thirsty is a sign of diabetes. You could be insulin resistant which causes weight issues. I would get my doc to check me out. Like others said, you probably are not eating enough believe it or not. Please add your exercise calories in because you need to eat them back. Something that helps me is I make a point to go higher on my protein grams than what is required. It is pretty easy to do with peanut butter or some nuts and it will help you get your calorie intake higher. Good Luck but do go to the doctor just to make sure.0
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The commonly recommended minimum for men is actually 1500 but it really depends from person to person. If you weigh 200 lbs, you have different a calorie requirement than someone who weighs 120 lbs.
Why should no one only do weight training? That's a pretty bold statement.
Why should a person only weight train and not do any cardio?
Cardio is detrimental to recovery and I would prefer to get stronger and bigger. Also, cardio plays no role in both weight change and composition change.
But cardio is definitely good for your heart....
I don't see why either one is useless...a combo of strength training and cardio is a great idea for the majority of people who are not only looking to get bigger.0 -
I think I'll try doing what a few of you suggested which is to up my calories again, despite the fact of seeing my weight go up,(which I know is going to kill me):sad: and then see if somehow after a week or so I start to see some results.
My weight went up--not because I gained weight but because my scales broke...I thought I had hit the magic 50 but really, almost 30...told ya they broke...
When I do have a big walking day, or a washing the car day, or a major cleaning day, I do register those "exercise calories" and I eat most of them back--every time. I also noticed that I have a mini-weight loss on those days too..
Keep up the good work!
Amy0 -
Going to reiterate what you've heard from many: be scrupulous and ruthless and honest in your food logging. Restaurant meals are killers and add up so quickly it's ridiculous. Even "light" or "fit"choices are more calories than I usually eat for a meal and that's not counting any pre-meal bread, etc. Prepared and processed foods are often empty calories even if they seem nutritious. If you haven't been using MFP to review your daily nutrient intake, you should start doing so. You'll be able to see where your protein intake is, sodium, etc. For many of us, MFP protein goal is too low-my dietitian wants me closer to 55 than 45 for my age and weight.
Be brutally honest about your portions and your exercise calories. Round up your portions in MFP if in doubt and round down your exercise calories. Weigh and measure everything you put in your mouth. If you are guesstimating, odds are you're wrong a good portion of the time.
And as for gaining weight and fluctuations: ignore short term stuff, it's meaningless, esp. if you have been honest about logging and you're close to net calorie goal.. For example, on Thursday I weighed 183. Yay!! Friday I weigh 182.6--yay again, but too close to just hitting 183 so I know it's not a real loss. Saturday I attend a several hour tailgate where I don't drink much alcohol but I eat a lot of salty stuff; exercising after I come home, gets me to 1200 net for the day. Sunday I weighed 187, this morning I weighed 188 and my rings were tighter than usual and I can tell I've retained a lot of fluid from the carpal tunnel symptoms acting up. After work I weighed myself while I'm changin my clothes, I'm at 185. I can tell from the way my rings fit now that I would probably weigh less if I were to weigh myself now because my fluid retention is decreasing.
I tell you this boring story to illustrate how the short term weight loss and gain isn't the measure to use. You don't magically "gain" a pound of permanent weight overnight, and you also aren't going to magically lose it that quickly either.0 -
initially increasing cals may up weight a bit but it comes back off. the only thing that has consistently worked for me is eating back my exercise cals - about 200 for error.0
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