What am I doing WRONG??

PeekABooGirl
PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need to loose between 45-50lbs. MFP says to eat 1200 calories a day (plus eating back my exercise calories) and for the most part I stick to that. Often times about 100 less. I generally exercise about 4-5x a week - sometimes the gym with elliptical and bike, other times I'll do Wii FIt or Just Dance at home. I do admit I haven't been drinking all my water - often only 4-5 cups. I don't cheat - I do log everything I eat. Now I will say that I don't often eat the healthiest of calories (example, yesterday I had a McD's fish filet b/c I was on the run....) but I still try to make the best choices (No cheese, no mayo, etc) and I still make sure to keep at no more than 1200-1300 calories. In 48 days, I've lost not quite 6lbs. And the first 5 were all in less than 2 weeks. Then it just came to a screeching halt. Over the weekend I had a bad day - didn't even bother logging. And low and behold the next day the scale finally budged and I'd lost .6lb.

Can someone tell me the secret to balancing calories and exercise!

Replies

  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 961 Member
    Don't be too down on yourself - you already lost 120lb!! :flowerforyou:

    It's possible you need to tweak your numbers a bit... maybe you're one who will benefit from having a "cheat day" once a week where you let yourself overeat a bit and keep your body guessing... but 6 lb in 7.5 weeks isn't really all that bad. Are you taking your measurements as well? I'm finding that the scale is not my friend, but the measuring tape IS!

    Re: exercise - I'l suggest you mix it up. Cut down on your cardio a bit and add a couple of days of strength training - it has a ton of health benefits even aside from weight loss and body reshaping.
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    Without seeing your diary, it is harder to tailer advice to you ... however...

    DRINK YOUR WATER. I don't lose ANY weight unless I'm drinking enough.

    Are you getting enough fiber?

    Are you accurately measuring your food or eyeballing it?

    Have you had your thryoid checked?

    Are you going over your macros in fat calories?

    Start lifting heavy weights.
  • purpletrillium
    purpletrillium Posts: 124
    I have been losing weight very slowly since October. Doing the same as you, 1200 calories plus eating back workout calories. If I don't drink enough water, the weight stays on me. Also, the filet of fish tastes good, but high in sodium. I've started keeping protein bars and nuts in a bag so I can eat them when I'm in a hurry. In the past I'd have a Happy Meal, which has tons of sodium and calories for what you get.
  • PeekABooGirl
    PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
    Well that's true. I did take my measurements at the beginning and prob should do it again. Last week my ex commented on how "skinny" I looked and he didn't even know I was exercising or dieting, etc. So maybe the tape measure will be my friend, too! Thanks!
  • PeekABooGirl
    PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
    OK so what are macros? And how do I know how many there are in the foods I eat? Thought I should note that since I had gastric bypass surgery - I don't really absorb fat. So honestly I don't pay too much attention to fat. But the sodium could be an issue I suppose. Retaining fluids, etc. And now that someone mentioned it about the water, last week I did do MUCH Better with water so prehaps that helped in my tiny weightloss for the week.
  • footballmom12
    footballmom12 Posts: 100 Member
    If I read correctly you've already lost over 120 lbs!!?? It may be time to alter your intake. Eat a couple hundred more calories and LIFT WEIGHTS!! Cardio is good but weights will tone and build muscle which will help burn fat faster! I use just 3 lbs hand weights and do high reps...as an example. You look great...don't give up!!
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    Pardon my ignorance, but why aren't you absorbing fat? My mother had a gastric bypass, and I assure you, she absorbs fat like any other person. In the beginning, it was hard for her to digest ( increased vomiting ) but considering she is now 50 pounds overweight AGAIN, it is coming from somewhere.

    Macros : Fat, Carbs, Protein.

    You should have these on your diary. Do you know how to set your diary to public ?

    As far as I am aware, lifting small weights for a long time builds endurance, not strength. I am just starting to lift weights, so I am not an authority on weight lifting by any means.
  • amandamickey
    amandamickey Posts: 49
    Congrats on the weight loss so far! That is no small feat and you should definitely be proud of yourself! Also, I think the best indicator of changing your body shape is how your clothes fit regardless of what the scale reads. Especially since you are exercising, focus on how your clothes feel because you will more likely be losing inches rather than pounds on the scale.

    In regards to exercise, I agree with the other posters saying to mix it up - weight lifting sounds scary, but it builds compact lean muscle. In conjunction with some cardio, I think that you will see better results much more quickly!

    Also, be sure to drink enough water every day - take your body weight in lbs and divide by 2. That is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking everyday. Really try to not drink anything else in substitute of water (such as soda, "vitamin" water, etc).

    Congrats again on your progress! Keep up the great work :)
  • PeekABooGirl
    PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
    Pardon my ignorance, but why aren't you absorbing fat? My mother had a gastric bypass, and I assure you, she absorbs fat like any other person. In the beginning, it was hard for her to digest ( increased vomiting ) but considering she is now 50 pounds overweight AGAIN, it is coming from somewhere.

    Macros : Fat, Carbs, Protein.

    You should have these on your diary. Do you know how to set your diary to public ?

    As far as I am aware, lifting small weights for a long time builds endurance, not strength. I am just starting to lift weights, so I am not an authority on weight lifting by any means.

    I lost 120 within 6 months after the surgery but was still about 30-40lbs over my "ideal" weight. I just kind of hung out there around 180 for years and I was fine with that. Even after having kids, I've gained no more than 12lbs. But that being said, there are different types of gastric bypass so perhaps your mom had a different variation? WIth mine, the food bypasses the small intestines and that is where fat and most vitamins are absorbed.

    This is from Wikipedia - explains it somewhat:

    Gastric bypass, Roux en-Y (distal)
    The small intestine is normally 6–10 m (20–33 ft) in length. As the Y-connection is moved further down the gastrointestinal tract, the amount available to fully absorb nutrients is progressively reduced, traded for greater effectiveness of the operation. The Y-connection is formed much closer to the lower (distal) end of the small intestine, usually 100–150 cm (39–59 in) from the lower end, causing*** reduced absorption (malabsorption) of food: primarily of fats and starches, but also of various minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins. The unabsorbed fats and starches pass into the large intestine, where bacterial actions may act on them to produce irritants and malodorous gases.** These larger effects on nutrition are traded for a relatively modest increase in total weight loss.
  • deniserenee_02
    deniserenee_02 Posts: 158 Member
    From what I hear you need to have a cheat day to loose weight not to over indulge, but different food than regular.
  • vwentworth
    vwentworth Posts: 4 Member
    I totally concur on the "strength training" comments. When you are doing only cardio training your not really "building" muscle your just sortof making your fat cells smaller. So, essentially your a smaller version of your old self with the same slow metabolism. The more muscle you have the faster your metabolism is, which is why you'll often hear the term "muscle burns fat".

    If you are completely new to weight training I would suggest meeting with a trainer even for a short time so you can familiarize yourself with how to go about it. You won't regret it. =)
  • jaxxie
    jaxxie Posts: 576 Member
    There is a book called "NEW RULES OF LIFTING FOR WOMEN" that explains why lifting low weights with high reps is useless unless you are doing an endurance program. It has everything you need for beginners to lift and what/how etc. the benefits and proper excercises are. It is a great book and I strongly recommend it if you have never lifted before! It will truly change your way of thinking about working out overall. Good luck and PS - I do a cheat day once a week and that creates a tweak in my metabolism to get it going again. The other book you may want to read is by Chris Powell "CHOOSE TO LOSE" (He's from the Biggest :Loser). I have found some great successs with the combination of both. Best of luck and keep us posted on your success!!!!

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