what is my problem ? expert advice please?!?

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smccarron1
smccarron1 Posts: 50 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am stuck! I am good on my calorie goal mon-thurs but when the weekend comes around I struggle and make poor decisions! But i am right back at it on monday! I try to burn at least 500 calories --4 or 5 days a week sometimes more. I have been doing this for about a year on and off and i cant lose weight! my calorie goal is 1200 and im starting to think maybe thats my problem. but im nervous to up my calories thinking i might gain even more :0( Please help this confused girl to get on the right track. I feel like i work my butt off and nothing...its just so frustrating

samantha :smile:

Replies

  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
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    Post your stats and open your diary so people can see it.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Agreed, need to see your diary to be able to assist you!

    Thanks!
  • MrsWagz
    MrsWagz Posts: 41
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    Your weekend may be sabotaging your whole week. I have had this problem many many times and unfortunately it doesn't take a whole lot of careless eating to get rid of your calorie defecit. I would try sticking through it on the weekends and see if that helps.. Good luck!
  • kimbux
    kimbux Posts: 154 Member
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    What kind of 'poor decisions' are you making on the weekend? If they are really poor, then you are most likely negatively impacting all the work you are doing during the week. Are you tracking your food and drink on the weekend? Sometimes just cutting out one thing (like alcohol) can make a HUGE difference. Good Luck - you can do it!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I'll be honest... 1200 calories may be too low for you. Especially if you are working out a lot. Yes, your bad decisions on the weekends may not be helping, but as long as you aren't consuming 3500 calories OVER what you need in a day, you aren't going to gain actual weight. You may be retaining a lot of water if you're consuming high sodium foods or are drinking alcohol. Only way to solve that is to drink a bunch of water to flush your system.

    I would try upping your calories to 1400 and try eating back your exercise calories. Do it for 3-4 weeks and see what happens. What you're doing now isn't working, so what will it hurt to up them and see what happens? You may be pleasantly surprised to see a loss.
  • smccarron1
    smccarron1 Posts: 50 Member
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    thanks guys---how do i open my diary? i am horrible at tracking on the weekends...maybe i am answering my own questions. :smile:
  • gennybunny1
    gennybunny1 Posts: 209
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    I find that if I restrict myself too much during the week I binge on the weekend. Try upping your calories and having a little "treat" everyday. It may help keep you focused on the weekend. Good luck
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,977 Member
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    If your goals are set to lose 2 pounds each week, try lowering that to 1 pound. That will effectively up your calories for you. It can also keep your mind thinking that you are still at a deficit.
  • richx83
    richx83 Posts: 334 Member
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    I don't know your stats but if your picture is anything to go by do you actually have any weight to lose as you already look quite slim in the picture.

    Rich
  • smccarron1
    smccarron1 Posts: 50 Member
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    I am 5'9 and 190 i am gonna open my diary :0)
  • skcornett
    skcornett Posts: 169 Member
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    To open your diary, you need to go to "My Home" and change your settings.

    I would try a couple of things - first, up your calories to 1400. Make sure you're getting lots of lean protein in there. It makes the body happy. Then, if you still need/want a day to be bad, limit it to one day. Try this for a couple of weeks and let us know how it goes. Feel free to add me for support.
  • thetiwi1890
    thetiwi1890 Posts: 256 Member
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    After looking at your diary I would suggest to definitely up your NET calories to at least 1200 (that's at least 1200 AFTER exercise. If you burn 500, try to eat AT LEAST 1700 etc). You seem to be too far under your calorie needs, your body NEEDS more, especially with all that exercise.
    I would also seriously consider upping your activity level to at least moderately active if you have not already, particularly because of your tall stature.
    Get lots of protein too!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    bump
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    I am stuck! I am good on my calorie goal mon-thurs but when the weekend comes around I struggle and make poor decisions! But i am right back at it on monday! I try to burn at least 500 calories --4 or 5 days a week sometimes more. I have been doing this for about a year on and off and i cant lose weight! my calorie goal is 1200 and im starting to think maybe thats my problem. but im nervous to up my calories thinking i might gain even more :0( Please help this confused girl to get on the right track. I feel like i work my butt off and nothing...its just so frustrating

    samantha :smile:

    You can't lose weight because you're starving yourself. Esepcially if you're not even eating those exercise calories.


    Lets assume you are 5'9", 190 and your goal is 150 ...
    If you choose sedentary, lose 1.5 lbs a week -- your dailly would be 1,360 -- which means, this is what you actually eat AFTER exercise too. The deficit is already built in. If you eat less than 1360 net -- thats when you start getting into starvation mode and your body is holding on to everything -- it needs more fuel to burn more fuel.

    If you choose to lose 1lb a week (probably a better idea) your daily net would be 1,610 ---

    To account for errors tracking your food, or errors in calories burned (do yu have a good heart rate monitor with a chest strap??)
    you should eat at least half if not allof your exercise calories back.

    1200 is just too low for you and your body hate you for it right now :)
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I am stuck! I am good on my calorie goal mon-thurs but when the weekend comes around I struggle and make poor decisions! But i am right back at it on monday! I try to burn at least 500 calories --4 or 5 days a week sometimes more. I have been doing this for about a year on and off and i cant lose weight! my calorie goal is 1200 and im starting to think maybe thats my problem. but im nervous to up my calories thinking i might gain even more :0( Please help this confused girl to get on the right track. I feel like i work my butt off and nothing...its just so frustrating

    samantha :smile:

    You can't lose weight because you're starving yourself. Esepcially if you're not even eating those exercise calories.


    Lets assume you are 5'9", 190 and your goal is 150 ...
    If you choose sedentary, lose 1.5 lbs a week -- your dailly would be 1,360 -- which means, this is what you actually eat AFTER exercise too. The deficit is already built in. If you eat less than 1360 net -- thats when you start getting into starvation mode and your body is holding on to everything -- it needs more fuel to burn more fuel.

    If you choose to lose 1lb a week (probably a better idea) your daily net would be 1,610 ---

    To account for errors tracking your food, or errors in calories burned (do yu have a good heart rate monitor with a chest strap??)
    you should eat at least half if not allof your exercise calories back.

    1200 is just too low for you and your body hate you for it right now :)

    I agree. 1600 would be a good goal and eat your exercise calories!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I recently gave the idea of a cheat meal or cheat day a try to try to break back into losing again. But I was hitting almost the same weight every week at weigh in week after week. I thought it was just being stuck, until I started weighing myself every single morning. What I discovered is that all week I would lose weight, slowly but surely, every day the scale would be down a bit. Then I'd have my cheat meal or cheat day. The very next day the scale would jump back up to where I'd been the previous week. After watching this weekly yo-yo effect I stopped my cheat meals and days and now have seen steady loss continually week over week again.

    So, while freedom in a cheat meal or day may work for some to stimulate overall loss, it's not the same for everyone. So I would say its very possibly that any weight loss you are getting through the week is being negated by the bad weekends.

    On average, I personally only eat back 100-200 of my exercise calories each day and then will use extra exercise calories as a buffer to have a "treat" every now and again. My base calories are set at 1360 and I found that eating back too many of my exercise calories wasn't working for me. (I also wear a BodyMedia Fit and my calories consumed vs calories burned keeps me at the deficit I'm looking for by not eating back too many of my exercise calories)
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Your diary appears to be incomplete so that makes it hard. But based on what I see you are not getting anywhere near the 1200 net calories per day.

    As someonw already said, you cannot starve your body, it doesn't work! When you don't eat enough and then you exercise on top of that the body only burns muscle NOT FAT!!!!!!!!

    Get up to 1200 net - that means after exercise calories!!!! Make sure you are getting lots of water, 64oz or more and lots of protein, going over the MFP amounts is fine unless your doctor says otherwise.

    Stay away from Fast and Processed foods, limit your fat, simple carbs and sodium and I bet you see results very soon!

    Best of Luck!!!

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