I need help before I throw in the towel!

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sloew
sloew Posts: 106 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so here is a little back ground..

I started Jan 2011 and (while nursing) eating between 2100-2400 calories and lots of workouts lost 30 lbs by end of June and then hit a plateau! Aug-Sept I went on vacation and gained 10 lbs back. End of Sept I started back up and lost 2ish lbs and have been fluxuating between 168-171 since. I'm 28 year old Female at 5'6''. I stopped nursing in July so I dropped my calories to 1200 for a few weeks. Didn't lose anything again tried a few weeks at 1500 and 1800 calories and still lost nothing!! I can tell I'm getting stronger with the workouts I'm doing but I've barely lost .5 inch in my waist in the past 6 months! I took a medabolic test and I have a fast metabolism. Which is good, I understand! I'm excited about this!. From what I understand my body burns 1962 calories a day just resting. I've tried 2100 calories for the past week and still nothing. I've not gained anythign so that is encouraging but a couple days I resorted to eating candy and cookies to get all my calories! I KNOW, I know!! not good!! I know I could get good calories but I just wanted somehting that wouldn't make me full..

Ok so I guess my question is do I really need ot eat all the calories if I'm not hungry? I'm forcing myself to eat just to get all the calories. and most days I don't want to work out b/c I dont want to have to eat more calories!! I love to workout too! Some days are good esp when we have high cal meals but days when I actually do eat healthy and get all my veggies and lower calorie foods I'm so full I can't get all my calories in.

I'm going to try to get in to see the dr soon to get blood work done b/c there is no reason I shouldn't be losing! I am working hard on this! I'm getting weary of trying and working so hard!

Please I'm emotional enough 'if you don't have anythign nice to say, keep your comments to yourself' I've seen how vicious people can be on here when someone juast asks for a little advice!

Please and Thank you! :)

Replies

  • Jeaniehop
    Jeaniehop Posts: 88 Member
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    I can't possibly eat back all my calories and I have been losing. I'd say go back to the goals you have set workout when you want to, eat when your hungry with healthy food choices and drink half your weight in ounces of water a day. Sugar turns to fat instantly so try to lower sugar intake and see where it goes from there and good luck to you!
  • sloew
    sloew Posts: 106 Member
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    Thank you Jeaniehop! I will try to focus on that... I get so frustrated for working so hard and not seeing any results!!! I eat a ton healthier now than I did last year due to the life style changes I've made and I have lost 30 lbs! I'm excited about that but I still have 25-30 lbs to go.
    What do you mean back to the goals I have set?
  • margyhannah
    margyhannah Posts: 2
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    Hang in there Sarah, love you! and I agree, do not eat if you are not hungry! some days I eat under my goal by quite a few calories because I am not hungry! (especially I don't eat back all my workout cals) other days I go a little over because I am starving. Hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND google "negative calorie foods" and learn how you can loose by eating these foods. My diet is rich in these and I am sure it is helping me loose.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566
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    I think you need to know for sure how many calories you should be eating and sticking to that. You seem to have tried a lot of different amounts. Then give it some time and it will start to come off.

    I would definitely exercise as it has so many health benefits besides weight loss. If you don't always want to eat your calories back i would not worry about it. I do sometimes and sometimes not. If you are hungry, eat.

    Try to make healthy food choices and not too much junk.

    Try not to worry about it or stress yourself out, it will happen! Just stick to the basics!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Try not to worry about it or stress yourself out, it will happen! Just stick to the basics!

    This is great advice. Pick a number (I'd suggest 1800) and stick with it for a month. Don't weight yourself all the time, just focus on eating healthy food and doing a moderate amount of exercise. This isn't a short term game, it takes time for results. Hang in there and you'll do it.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
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    Sometimes what you are eating (or not eating) can effect your ability to lose weight...
    Too much sodium can cause water retention - ie. water weight...
    Too little fat or too little calories can slow down your metabolism.
    Not enough fiber can cause constipation.
    Working out can build muscle which weighs more than fat.
    All of these can cause weight gain.

    Throwing in the towel definitely won't help...
    Look at what you are eating (you need a good balance).
    Look at other's food diaries to get an idea of what they are eating to lose.
    Don't eat more than 3 very low calorie foods (ie... sugar free jello, diet soda, Cool Whip free) that are not packed
    with nutrients (ie vegetables or fruit) per day (junk food fillers/snacks)
    Make fresh or minimally processed foods your primary diet.
    Try to use the food pyramid as a guide.
    Try not to eat out too often (crazy sodium contents in some of the healthier choices and lots of stuff your body doesn't need).
    Make sure you have some olive oil, avocado, or fatty fish each day.

    Calories are not the only thing you need to focus on...

    Best of luck to you.
    Everyone hits plateaus.
    It may be time to mix things up a bit to give your body a jump start.

    Hope this helps
  • RollinDawg
    RollinDawg Posts: 235 Member
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    If you're not hungry, don't eat just to fill calories. Eating when we weren't hungry is why a lot of us need MFP in the first place.
  • piinchi
    piinchi Posts: 172 Member
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    Don't throw in the towel! I understand the frustration. I have been feeling like I'm maintaining my weight no matter how little or lot I eat. As long as you're healthy, you are already ahead of the game. Perhaps shifting your focus will help you feel like you are achieving goals. For example, instead of weighing yourself, try to train yourself to do 25 pushups back to back (or 10, or 50, or whatever your goal is!) Or time yourself going through a circuit workout that normally takes you 30 minutes, and try to beat your time down to 25 minutes in 4 weeks. By taking the focus off weight and inches, you'll start eating what you need and start putting that fast metabolism to work! (And I am jealous of that metabolism... since I turned 30, mine just plummeted, it can be very frustrating!)

    Good luck - you're already doing a great job, and that towel needs to stay firmly in your hand.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    If you're not hungry, don't eat just to fill calories. Eating when we weren't hungry is why a lot of us need MFP in the first place.

    Hmmm... you see I think "eating when hungry, listening to my body" for 43 years is what got me fat.
    Eating (almost all) the calories that MFP recommends (for over a year now) has me thinner and healthier than I've ever been in my life. Undereating is not helpful in the long run, just as overeating isn't.
    MFP has helped me find the happy medium, and now I'm getting used to knowing how much I need to eat and enjoying mostly healthy meals with some fabuolous treats (fine French Restaurant on Saturday brought my daily total to an estimated 2900 cals!) and still maintaining my weight.

    I don't thnk you have to stuff yourself silly, but if you plan your meals and snacks for the day and eat to that plan its not hard at all to eat 1800 cals - feel free to have a look at my diary today (Monday) - I have 1900 cals in there and I won't be feeling like I've overeaten.
  • 70davis
    70davis Posts: 348 Member
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