HELP! What am I doing wrong???

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  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    Even though you are at 40/30/30 you may just simply need to change the scale of your macronutrients. the 40/30/30 is a balanced nutrition.. that is what I suggest everyone start out with for a month or so and see how things go.. some peoples weight drops right away, others stay at the same weight but when I measure them they have lost several inches and suggest staying with the balanced approach..

    everyone is different.. I use myself as an example.. I have insulin sensitivity so a very low Carb High Protein medium to higher fat nutrition approach works for me very well. I have no Starchy carbs but only 1 or 2 times per week. I stay very full and satisfied, have great energy and lean out.. It can take a long time to figure out what works best with your body because you have to try different things out and it may take a few weeks for your body to adjust.. however I have seen once someone has tweeked their Nutrients they have had a fat loss rather quickly.. everyone is different.. Just keep moving forward.. Nutrition is always the key with exercise.. the right nutrition you will thrive with your workouts and feel great all day long..

    and remember your Water intake... I have all my Clients drink a gallon a day.. start off the Morning by downing 20 to 30 oz and go from there.. always have water with meals.. Ice cold water..

    Hope it helps.. just keep plugging away..

    thanks!! I just had someone else recommend lowering carbs to 100g/day and increasing fats to balance out the calories. I do usually drink 80-120 ounces of water per day. Usually 96 minimum, but some days I fall a little short...Thanks again!
  • Hoosiermomma
    Hoosiermomma Posts: 877 Member
    Bumping just to see what ends up working for you. With your determination I know something will. Great BF measurement! I would like to have a good measurement soon. The charts have so many different results! I especially like the response of a rest. Eating at maintenance without exercise to allow the body to level out. I think I did that without trying when I had a couple busy weeks. Now the losses are adding up again for me.
  • MoneySavingLisa
    MoneySavingLisa Posts: 25
    Years ago when I lost 30lbs, what worked for me towards the end was keeping carbs under 100 grams a day, fiber at 25 grams and tried not to have much sugar.. BUT I'd typically end my day with a serving of chocolate peanut butter ice cream topped with Fiber One :) The Fiber One made it crunchy which I liked, and slowed down the carbs/sugar from spiking insulin.

    I kept the weight off for 8 years until I joined the army. Go figure.
  • charlottefairbairn
    charlottefairbairn Posts: 19
    Muscle weighs more than fat. I have lost ~4 inches from my jeans size, lost around 7% bodyfat, and I weigh exactly the same as I did when I was fat, perhaps even more. Trust the calipers, trust your dress size, and above all - trust what you see in the mirror! Food is fuel at the end of the day, your body is just becoming more used to being a highly-tuned tank :) Plus stick to the no-brainers - no carbs after 6pm and control your fat intake.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    Bumping just to see what ends up working for you. With your determination I know something will. Great BF measurement! I would like to have a good measurement soon. The charts have so many different results! I especially like the response of a rest. Eating at maintenance without exercise to allow the body to level out. I think I did that without trying when I had a couple busy weeks. Now the losses are adding up again for me.

    thats what I am doing now! I am taking this week off from exercise and eating at maintenance. I am also trying to limit carbs to 100g, but I am having a hard time getting to 2000 calories without going ridicuolously over on protein and fat!!!

    @goldfshark: I agree and my BF did possibly go down 1% if I trust my husbands using the calipers (which I am 50-50 on whether he is using them right) but clothes are not fitting better, measurements are about the same. I am glad they arent geting tighter, but wish they were looser.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    I wonder how long I need to do strength training before I will see the metabolic improvement and visual results???? I feel like my body resists the strength training!! I have done 2 full ( 12 week) rounds of p90x and slight improvement in upper body visually, but negligible change in measurements....I seem to do so much better with just straight cardio. It makes it hard for me to keep do weights when the results arent coming after 6 months.....and I have gone up in weights...when I started the program my heaviest weights were 8 pound dumbells, and now I am up to 15lbs plus using bar with weights (?name) and barbells...
  • Hotrodhoodlum
    Hotrodhoodlum Posts: 148
    Calories seem a bit high for weight loss . You also don't indicate what is your brake down is on Carbs, Protein, Fat , Sugar . Not enough information
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
    just because you're gaining weight doesn't mean its bad weight.

    You really shouldn't worry so much about the number on the scale. Worry more about your BF %, measurements and how your clothes fit- NOT THE SIZE NUMBER but how they fit.

    Here's some perspective about the number on the scale from my experience:

    I'm 5'8

    October 2010 I weighted 136.
    Waist 35"
    thighs (at the biggest part) 16"
    Hips 38"
    BF% 19

    Today 12/20/11: weight 143 ( I was 145 over the weekend but I ate a lot of cake :) )
    Waist: 28"
    Thighs (at the biggest part) 21"
    Hips 34"
    BF% 16

    You see, I weigh approx 7 pounds more than I used to, but I've lost inches and BF%. Just because the number on the scale is higher doesn't mean you're bigger.

    Take your measurements and let that be your judge, not the scale.

    Also, I did not read through the whole thread so i dont know what type of exercise you are doing, but you should be strength training 3x/week and doing cardio 3-4x/week, or more if you choose. But remember cardio is going to make you lose muscle mass, and muscle mass is what burns more calories. So always be sure to have good strength training regimen. You may not burn as many calories at the gym while you are strength training, but your resting metebolic # will be higher, ergo you will burn more calories daily than through cardio alone.
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
    I wonder how long I need to do strength training before I will see the metabolic improvement and visual results???? I feel like my body resists the strength training!! I have done 2 full ( 12 week) rounds of p90x and slight improvement in upper body visually, but negligible change in measurements....I seem to do so much better with just straight cardio. It makes it hard for me to keep do weights when the results arent coming after 6 months.....and I have gone up in weights...when I started the program my heaviest weights were 8 pound dumbells, and now I am up to 15lbs plus using bar with weights (?name) and barbells...


    8-15 pounds dumbbells isn't strength training. Pick up a barbell, start with at least 45# ( thats the weight of the bare bar). 8-15pound dumbbells isn't going to build your muscles. Dont waste your time doing 3 sets of 12 with 15#s. Do 12 sets of 3 with a 45# bar.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Calories seem a bit high for weight loss . You also don't indicate what is your brake down is on Carbs, Protein, Fat , Sugar . Not enough information

    It's truly not high for weight loss. you have to understand she is doing a lot of exercise which burns much. Between P90X and running, Dawn burns a lot of calories.



    Dawn, since you are on a caloric deficit, it will be difficult to see an increase in metabolic rates. You can't build muscle when eating at a deficit. What you can do on a deficit is burn fat and maintain muscle mass. I also didn't realize that your deficits were as high as 750 per day (I am assuming that is on running days). If that is the case, you may need to eat around 2500 calories.

    Also, cooking in olive oil and eating a handful of nuts can help with getting calories up.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    @mleigh; Thanks!!

    Lemon: as always thanks again. I am taking rest week this week and then next week increasing again to 2200 and continuing to keep carbs lower (100g). I had reviewed my stats from feb. to today and yes deficits back then could be as high as 900 per day, avg 400-800, but I was doing more running. Now I am going to do running 4 days per week and try to do wgts 3-4 days. Thanks!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    @mleigh; Thanks!!

    Lemon: as always thanks again. I am taking rest week this week and then next week increasing again to 2200 and continuing to keep carbs lower (100g). I had reviewed my stats from feb. to today and yes deficits back then could be as high as 900 per day, avg 400-800, but I was doing more running. Now I am going to do running 4 days per week and try to do wgts 3-4 days. Thanks!!

    I think that's an awesome plan. I, too, am taking off next week (even from eating healthy) and starting over in the new year. A body needs to splurge once in awhile.
  • christibear
    christibear Posts: 93 Member
    I do not weight train, but 45 pounds seems like a really high number to start with, even my husband started on 25 and worked his way up.
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