think i am about done.
Replies
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OK Fairy,
Let me guess, I'm pulling no punches here...
When you diet, you stay strict and meet your calorie goals, 1,200 just like you said. You don't mind exercising, when you diet. But you give up, just like you're thinking of doing now, then you don't keep track. And you gain quickly. All of this you've said.
What you didn't say, I'm guessing here, is you also eat for emotional reasons, it has a calming effect for you. And you've yo-yo dieted in the past, and if you quit again, this is another yo-yo for you.
Here is what I would recommend:
1) Try to eat at least 1,800 calories on average every day. You can go more or less by 200 on any day, but at the end of the week, that's a good target.
2) Burn 2,800-3,000 calories per week, every week through exercise. That's 700 calories 4 times per week, or 450 calories 6 times per week, or 950 calories 3 times per week. Any way you want. Just burn those 2,800 calories per week, minimum.
3) Log everything. Every calorie, every exercise. Buy a food scale if you can afford one. Buy a good heart rate monitor if you can afford it. I recommend the Polar FT40 if you can afford it, or the FT7 at a minimum. If you can't afford it, use the MFP numbers.
4) This time of year people often slow down. You can counteract that by shaking things up. If you drink alcohol, quit for a month or two. Quit eating your comfort food for a month as an alternative. Park in the farthest spot at the market, or walk instead of taking a taxi. I don't know what your circumstances are, but think of ways to get more active. Get up from your desk or job at work twice as many times as you do now, but just go for a walk around the building. Just start moving, and quit eating your favorite thing, whatever that is, replace it with a protein bar or a banana or something like that. If its a carbohydrate, a piece of fruit. Or any protein.
So, this math works out to 1,400 NET calories per week. My recommendation is to increase your net by 200 calories daily. My reason is that I think you could be pushing your body too low on calories for too long, and this has made your weight loss plateau. You've experienced illness, this could also be a consequence of not enough calories, at least partially.
Log carefully, and if this helps you will know it. Try this for a minimum of a month to know for sure. You may initially gain some weight and then lose. If you stay the same, add another 200 to your NET calories by adjusting your food intake, your exercise calories or both. Post to this Topic if you choose to try my advice, and just keep posting with your result.0 -
Another thought for consideration:
Check out the calorie calculators and free podcasts on www.fat2fitradio.com. the podcasts are full of information and are good sources of motivation and inspiration, too. One of the co-hosts has lost about 100 lbs and they promote lifestyle changes and losing weight slowly and safely.
Stay focused on your health and your long term goals. If you make effort every day, and keep getting back on the horse no matter how many times you fall, you will get there! Good Luck!!0 -
The post from solpwr above is the very best advice.
You have to log everything. It's almost a guarantee you'll fail if you don't.0 -
I've been stuck at the same weight plus/minus 5 pounds since about June, despite being diligent about my logging, portion measuring/weighing, exercising, etc., so I know the "what's the point" feeling. However, I continue to lose inches which is good, and the logging is very important so that when I stall too long, I can use it to support my request for a re-test of my thyroid (I have hypothyroidism). When I did Weight Watchers ago, the food logging and accountability that came with that were the most important factors in mysuccess. Then I got lazy/casual, stopped tracking what I ate (esp. alcohol calories) and gained almost all of it back. My strategy with MFP is to change my "food lifestyle" and that's not going to happen overnight, so as long as I'm not gaining, I view it as a type of success.
RE: gaining 10 pounds in one week--it is almost certainly water weight. Unless you have a really whacked out metabolism, as someone else posted, you'd need to have eaten approximately 35,000 extra calories in a week to gain that much weight--that's not likely. My weight will vary up to 5 pounds in the course of a day and most definitely is higher when I've had more sodium than usual.0 -
OK Fairy,
Let me guess, I'm pulling no punches here...
When you diet, you stay strict and meet your calorie goals, 1,200 just like you said. You don't mind exercising, when you diet. But you give up, just like you're thinking of doing now, then you don't keep track. And you gain quickly. All of this you've said.
What you didn't say, I'm guessing here, is you also eat for emotional reasons, it has a calming effect for you. And you've yo-yo dieted in the past, and if you quit again, this is another yo-yo for you.
Here is what I would recommend:
1) Try to eat at least 1,800 calories on average every day. You can go more or less by 200 on any day, but at the end of the week, that's a good target.
2) Burn 2,800-3,000 calories per week, every week through exercise. That's 700 calories 4 times per week, or 450 calories 6 times per week, or 950 calories 3 times per week. Any way you want. Just burn those 2,800 calories per week, minimum.
3) Log everything. Every calorie, every exercise. Buy a food scale if you can afford one. Buy a good heart rate monitor if you can afford it. I recommend the Polar FT40 if you can afford it, or the FT7 at a minimum. If you can't afford it, use the MFP numbers.
4) This time of year people often slow down. You can counteract that by shaking things up. If you drink alcohol, quit for a month or two. Quit eating your comfort food for a month as an alternative. Park in the farthest spot at the market, or walk instead of taking a taxi. I don't know what your circumstances are, but think of ways to get more active. Get up from your desk or job at work twice as many times as you do now, but just go for a walk around the building. Just start moving, and quit eating your favorite thing, whatever that is, replace it with a protein bar or a banana or something like that. If its a carbohydrate, a piece of fruit. Or any protein.
So, this math works out to 1,400 NET calories per week. My recommendation is to increase your net by 200 calories daily. My reason is that I think you could be pushing your body too low on calories for too long, and this has made your weight loss plateau. You've experienced illness, this could also be a consequence of not enough calories, at least partially.
Log carefully, and if this helps you will know it. Try this for a minimum of a month to know for sure. You may initially gain some weight and then lose. If you stay the same, add another 200 to your NET calories by adjusting your food intake, your exercise calories or both. Post to this Topic if you choose to try my advice, and just keep posting with your result.
well logical post but many of your assesments are way off.
i actually dont emotional eat atleast not when stressed, just the opposite.
i dont drink so cant cut that out
if i used anything as a 'comfort food' it would be a big juicey burger (no bun) honest that is actually the only food item i ever have craving for.
as far as the rest of number four LOL to get up more from my job i would actually have to sit down a time or two. I am on my feet and in motion all day at work.0 -
the thought of increasing calories scares me , what if i just gain more?0
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YOU have to make up in your mind that you really really WANT this! And you arent going to give up because it gets hard. I have been working out since September 8th and I do 30min to an hour 7/6 days a week. I went to the doctor recently and he told me I gained five pounds. I was devastated, but I kept goin even though I didn't feel like I was getting no where. And I am still going, this is a lifestyle change for me and I am doing to better my health. I am 18 and very close to being obese. I've made up my mind that I WILL NOT ever see/hear a doctor tell my I am obese. Keep going and dont give up! I wont lie toyou and say its easy everyday for me but I remember why I am doing this. I realized today that I have 50+ pounds to loose till I get to my goal weight of 120; and that will take me a year maybe even more. "It's not about how fast you get there, it's the climb" Take to heart the things you will learn on this journey, trust me it'll be alot. You'll learn about your body and how it works waht works for it and what doesn't. You want to be healthy and that is a great thing to have. And it's great that you have a slow weighltoss because just think what if you lose quickly but gain it all back, take your time because you have time.
Best of Luck!:flowerforyou:0 -
You sound pretty convinced MFP won't work so I guess you just move forward the best you know how.0
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You sound pretty convinced MFP won't work so I guess you just move forward the best you know how.
hmm not sure how you came to that, MFP is a tool and a tool that is neutral to sucess or failure.
its my body that wont behave, just trying to figure out what to make it kick into gear, and the done part is not
about the website as again it is neutral it is about trying this weightloss thing in general, though at this point not sure
i could quit. whether i log on this site or another, i am sure i will always revert back to watching what i eat.
is it because i said you were off on your assessment? hell if your assessment were more accurate the difficulties would make more sense.0 -
you're not losing weight because you're not eating enough. You should eat no less than 1500 and no more that 1800
And you got this info where? I've lost eating less then 1500 and eating more than 1800.. so there are some flaws in your logic for sure.
To OP:
Most that I can say is, Don't stress! Stress makes losing weight about 10 times worse.
Also you need to eat more than a thousand calories and 20 carbs a day. Increase by small amounts and give it about 4 weeks.. and then re-assess. I currently eat around 1700-2000 calories a day, and I lose fine.. so it can happen. It's just about finding the balance for you.0 -
Please don't give up and stay positive! I may be new to this site but since the end of July i have been working on this Journey.. I would have my up and down weeks. Felt like giving up several times. And now i am glad i haven't and i am still trucking along. The people on this site seem to be very encouraging and supportive..
I wish you the best and i'm am sure you will find the strenth to continue.
Dana0 -
To OP:
Most that I can say is, Don't stress! Stress makes losing weight about 10 times worse.
heh umm I'm screwed0 -
my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy0
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my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
Choose calorie dense foods.. IE Nuts, lean meats, greek yogurt... stuff like that.
All of those can pack a punch to calories.. a handful of almonds is 160 calories, greek yogurt is also 160.. lean meats, I'm not too sure, but you can look that up
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A good source for dense calories (at least from my perspective) is Kashi's Go Lean Crunch. It's something like 190 calories in a cup, plus a good amount of protein. I'm not that fond of cereal and milk (lactose intolerant) so I mix it with my yoghurt in the morning (6 oz Light and Fit). Between those two and a cup of fresh fruit, it's an easy breakfast that also provides a decent amount of protein and calories.my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
Peanut butter and other nut butters are also good sources of calories that are relatively good for you and add up quickly. I'm not that fond of nut butters, but a friend turned me on to half Nutella/half crunchy peanut butter on toast. I use a whole grain 40 calories/slice bread, so two pieces of crunchy toast spread with a tablespoon of each for another is about 270 calories. And I do measure the peanut butter and Nutella-a tablespoon of each is adequate between the two pieces of bread but it's not going to be somewhat thin coverage.0 -
my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
How about when you're not "eating healthy"... is it a problem then?
And I was thinking you seem convinced that you're "about done", you focused on how my advice didn't fit, rather than finding a way to try and make it fit.
My advice was an alternative strategy. You say what you are doing now is not working for you. I set out some ideas, and also gave some basis for the strategy. Some of my basis was not fully on target. Forget my basis. You need to find an alternative strategy that is not ALL or NOTHING. That seems to be what you've done.
Even that statement... "i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy"... Most of us, including me, are using MFP because we were or are obese. We got obese because we abused food. You infer that sometimes you don't "eat healthy". Get away from the ALL or NOTHING approach. Find middle ground.
You want to quit, as we all have done with one diet or another, because what you're doing now is TOO RESTRICTIVE. I submit to you that reality is one of the reasons its no longer working. Your body is rebelling against your restrictions, and every fiber of your being is telling you to give up. To quit.
Choose middle ground. Ease up on the restrictive style, but keep logging. Eat some of the things you like, and most of all stay active. If you have a job that keeps you active, great. If it is standing, that's great, if you have to move a lot, stairs, heavy objects, even better. But add calories eaten, and add calories from exercise. That's my suggestion in a nutshell. Do it for a month before you decide whether or not its working. Its better than throwing in the towel.
I added approximately 200 calories to my diet every few months for a year. Every time, I lost weight as an outcome of increasing calories.0 -
I can only speak to my personal experience here. I am about the same age as you (41) and have about 75 pounds total to lose. I've lost 23 so far in about 2 months. I eat 1400 calories on non-exercise days. I eat all or almost all of my exercise calories back. I'm kind of at a standstill right now because I'm recuperating from gallbladder surgery, but the minute the doctor gives me the all-clear, I'll be back at it.
You have to find a way to make this work for you. Giving up won't help and will likely hurt due to gaining the weight back. You just have to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. You'll hit plateaus, but there are good suggestions here for breaking through plateaus.
Several people have given you good suggestions. You should at least give them a try. What do you have to lose? The worst that can happen is you gain a little back, but that's going to happen anyway if you give up. Just give it a shot and see what happens. It seems like you're kind of throwing back all kinds of reasons (excuses?) why you can't do this or that; maybe you should just try some of the suggestions before you give up.
Good luck!0 -
my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
How about when you're not "eating healthy"... is it a problem then?
And I was thinking you seem convinced that you're "about done", you focused on how my advice didn't fit, rather than finding a way to try and make it fit.
My advice was an alternative strategy. You say what you are doing now is not working for you. I set out some ideas, and also gave some basis for the strategy. Some of my basis was not fully on target. Forget my basis. You need to find an alternative strategy that is not ALL or NOTHING. That seems to be what you've done.
Even that statement... "i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy"... Most of us, including me, are using MFP because we were or are obese. We got obese because we abused food. You infer that sometimes you don't "eat healthy". Get away from the ALL or NOTHING approach. Find middle ground.
I added approximately 200 calories to my diet every few months for a year. Every time, I lost weight as an outcome of increasing calories.
well its a pretty obvious fact that unhealthy foods tend to be higher in calories (and bad stuff) by volume then good food, just the way it is.
i did not say your advice was bad, i said your post was logical, and if you notice i did up my calories. and plan to get a food scale when i have a few extra bucks. i do have a hrm polar fsomething7. now if i can remember where i shoved the chest strap.
i just said your basic assesment of my lifestyle was off a bit, and honestly i wish i could be as simple as some of the little things you mentioned in that point like getting up more at work and such. but those are not things i can change as they already are. and honestly as far as changing movement (i do do more at work ,somewhat by choice i do almost all the physcal work and my co worker sits on her lazy fat *kitten* , it is fatter than mine honest) and i have change snacking types. those both were some time ago and yes they helped a bit back then.
that is why so frustrated when not going through moments of throwing in the towel (and finding myself in tacobell) i do things pretty well . the only suggestion of peoples i have been reluctent to take is the increase, i am trying it out of desperation , at this point i dont thing i can have a overly negative outcome as my outcome the last several months not good anyway.0 -
my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
How about when you're not "eating healthy"... is it a problem then?
And I was thinking you seem convinced that you're "about done", you focused on how my advice didn't fit, rather than finding a way to try and make it fit.
My advice was an alternative strategy. You say what you are doing now is not working for you. I set out some ideas, and also gave some basis for the strategy. Some of my basis was not fully on target. Forget my basis. You need to find an alternative strategy that is not ALL or NOTHING. That seems to be what you've done.
Even that statement... "i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy"... Most of us, including me, are using MFP because we were or are obese. We got obese because we abused food. You infer that sometimes you don't "eat healthy". Get away from the ALL or NOTHING approach. Find middle ground.
I added approximately 200 calories to my diet every few months for a year. Every time, I lost weight as an outcome of increasing calories.
well its a pretty obvious fact that unhealthy foods tend to be higher in calories (and bad stuff) by volume then good food, just the way it is.
i did not say your advice was bad, i said your post was logical, and if you notice i did up my calories. and plan to get a food scale when i have a few extra bucks. i do have a hrm polar fsomething7. now if i can remember where i shoved the chest strap.
i just said your basic assesment of my lifestyle was off a bit, and honestly i wish i could be as simple as some of the little things you mentioned in that point like getting up more at work and such. but those are not things i can change as they already are. and honestly as far as changing movement (i do do more at work ,somewhat by choice i do almost all the physcal work and my co worker sits on her lazy fat *kitten* , it is fatter than mine honest) and i have change snacking types. those both were some time ago and yes they helped a bit back then.
that is why so frustrated when not going through moments of throwing in the towel (and finding myself in tacobell) i do things pretty well . the only suggestion of peoples i have been reluctent to take is the increase, i am trying it out of desperation , at this point i dont thing i can have a overly negative outcome as my outcome the last several months not good anyway.
So find middle ground. I go to Taco Bell all the time. But I get 2 chicken fresco soft tacos instead of super supreme killer gordita meal monstrosity. Instead of going to McDonald's all the time, I go to subway. You need to do something you can sustain forever.
Go to my profile page, I have a link in the first paragraph about me. It is the best advice I could ever give you. Read the advice.0 -
Have you gone to a doctor? Your inability to lose may be related to an undetected health condition. If you have hypothyroidism, it may be difficult to lose weight if it is left untreated.0
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You have to log your food.
Log your food.
Keep track of what you eat.
Eat enough. Figure out your needs realistically. It sounds like you should be at 1500-1800 a day with your job and your exercise. Try that for a month.
Log your food. You don't have to have a food scale. There are many websites that give you size comparisons on food portions.
You are looking everywhere except where you need to look. This site works. Logging food works. You have to eat ENOUGH.0 -
my cals are now set at 1590, though not sure i can get there, i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy
How about when you're not "eating healthy"... is it a problem then?
And I was thinking you seem convinced that you're "about done", you focused on how my advice didn't fit, rather than finding a way to try and make it fit.
My advice was an alternative strategy. You say what you are doing now is not working for you. I set out some ideas, and also gave some basis for the strategy. Some of my basis was not fully on target. Forget my basis. You need to find an alternative strategy that is not ALL or NOTHING. That seems to be what you've done.
Even that statement... "i have trouble getting that much when eating healthy"... Most of us, including me, are using MFP because we were or are obese. We got obese because we abused food. You infer that sometimes you don't "eat healthy". Get away from the ALL or NOTHING approach. Find middle ground.
I added approximately 200 calories to my diet every few months for a year. Every time, I lost weight as an outcome of increasing calories.
well its a pretty obvious fact that unhealthy foods tend to be higher in calories (and bad stuff) by volume then good food, just the way it is.
i did not say your advice was bad, i said your post was logical, and if you notice i did up my calories. and plan to get a food scale when i have a few extra bucks. i do have a hrm polar fsomething7. now if i can remember where i shoved the chest strap.
i just said your basic assesment of my lifestyle was off a bit, and honestly i wish i could be as simple as some of the little things you mentioned in that point like getting up more at work and such. but those are not things i can change as they already are. and honestly as far as changing movement (i do do more at work ,somewhat by choice i do almost all the physcal work and my co worker sits on her lazy fat *kitten* , it is fatter than mine honest) and i have change snacking types. those both were some time ago and yes they helped a bit back then.
that is why so frustrated when not going through moments of throwing in the towel (and finding myself in tacobell) i do things pretty well . the only suggestion of peoples i have been reluctent to take is the increase, i am trying it out of desperation , at this point i dont thing i can have a overly negative outcome as my outcome the last several months not good anyway.
So find middle ground. I go to Taco Bell all the time. But I get 2 chicken fresco soft tacos instead of super supreme killer gordita meal monstrosity. Instead of going to McDonald's all the time, I go to subway. You need to do something you can sustain forever.
Go to my profile page, I have a link in the first paragraph about me. It is the best advice I could ever give you. Read the advice.
oh i got to taco bell with full intent to get that, but somehow, i can't understand it , a true mystery, when i drive away there is a crunch wrap suppreme where the frescos should be. i have learned to jsut stay away, and make my own mex food, more control.0 -
Have you gone to a doctor? Your inability to lose may be related to an undetected health condition. If you have hypothyroidism, it may be difficult to lose weight if it is left untreated.
got the orders for blood work , just got to make it to the lab, hmm maybe tomorrow after work.0
This discussion has been closed.
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