not lost weight

Food -> settings -> diary sharing.

It takes longer than a week.

ok i think ive done it
as i say i know some of the foods im eating are not great but compared to what i was eatting its much better and with the sweet stuff i am weaning my self down as again i was eating much more .
But i am adding every thing to the diary as if i cheat i only cheat myself
i am also taking a steriod tablet at the moment so not sure if that will make any difference

steriods make it more difficult to lose also

It takes longer than a week so stick at it, if you are under on calories and not going over with the carbs or fat you should be losing it. You mention later on that you have lost inches so that is good.

Do you know what your sodium levels are like?

I was trying to stick to 1200 cals and that was plenty, I fill up on fruit and veg but with the exercise I have upped my calories to around 1400, sometimes more if I burn a lot more and have found that makes a difference.

Some good advice here already, especially about water and protein. You've obviously worked hard at keeping within your calories this week and I know how disappointing it is when you don't lose weight.

Looking at your food diary, I would like to make some suggestions. Firstly, I believe what has happened illustrates that whilst a calories is a calorie, they are in no way equal. Your intake of fat and carbs is extremely high and your protein is very low.

On a very simplistic level cutting out a couple of carbs meals per week and replacing them with protein will mean you feel fuller after eating and will kick start your weight loss. Most importantly, try to get protein for your first meal. Some eggs and lean bacon (oven cooked or grilled) perhaps.

Also try to choose a more healthy snack, perhaps some nuts and seeds and always weigh your portion size as there are calorific; However 100 calories of nuts is way better than 100 calories of chocolate and the good choice will see you reach your goals much quicker.

Your obviously making the effort, these simple changes will maximise it.

Good luck and best wishes.

steriods make it more difficult to lose also

Well spotted, didn't read that before! Here's an article that might help from a trusted site:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/119003-lose-weight-taking-steroids/

I have also read that steroids can make you ultra sensitive to sodium, so monitor it in your diary, keep your intake low, cut back on ready meals and drink more water.

Hope that helps! :flowerforyou:

Just had a quick look at your diary... are you really only having 1gm of coco pops for breakfast???? (3 calories)

ETA: I found that I had to weigh my portions for a while until I could fairly accurately recognise a normal portion (and I still spot check)... even 30gm of cereal is very little compared to what my usual portion would have been.

It's great you are making a start and it's the start of a long journey. I am at the beginning too with a long way to go. I know it'll be hard but try and change you're choices for 80% of your foods. Coco Pops? Try some All Bran or Bran Flakes, maybe muesli for breakfast. Losing weight for good is all about lifestyle change that is why I have failed at WW twice because they kept saying I could eat what I want as long as I'm within my points. Great. Galaxy chocolate is nice. Might have fish and chips as long as its below my points right? I lost 2 stones each time but needed to lose at least 5. I plateau'd each time.

I'm a fussy eater, I love crisps, I love chips, burgers, steaks in pepper sauce, I love pizza etc. But you have to just say no to these foods on a daily basis. Its not just calories but healthy calories. Of course you can eat the above, now and again as a treat but make a choice to go all in and go for it. You will do it. I know you don't each lot's of these now but Coco pops rant the answer. It's like an alcoholic saying they will only have one vodka instead of 3 in the morning. Just don't have any. Coco pops will make you hungry very soon after breakfast.

Hope this helps as I am in exactly the same position as you but I am changing what I eat, how much I eat and how active I'm going to be. I'm nearly 40 and been "that fat guy" for 20 years. Enough is enough.

a week :huh: To early to get frustrated after a week unfortunately! Keep at it and be honest...this works :drinker:

First for all that said to watch your fat intake.... Fat is actually very healthy for you (except transfats which your body can't process and store as fats), so there is no need to watch it. Also, when you tend to do low fat/fat free substitutes, they tend to be higher in sugar and don't really provide any nutritional improves over their full fat companions. In fact, all the substitutes are highly process which also means it loaded with sodium. Now for carbs; unless you have an intolerance (those with PCOS or allergies) there is no need to stay away from carbs. Now, i do always recommend to each it in moderation due to the amount of glycogen stored due to carbs. This is one reason why I suggest a starting point for macro nutrition of 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat. But even so a better approach is 1g of protein per lean muscle mass (or about 70-80% of your total weight in protein), .35g of fat per lb of weight and the rest in carbs. But either way, unless you are getting very close to your goal, macronutrition isn't as important as calories in and out.

Now, I know with a lot of new people, they believe this 1200 calorie rule is the best option. What a lot of people seem to forget is under eating can be just as bad as over eating. And when I look at a diary and see goals of 1800 calories based on exercise and only see an intake of 1100, it can cause your body to freak out and hold onto calories. Also, many people tend to over extend themselves when it comes to weight loss. For example, those who only have 20 lbs to lose but aim for 2 lbs per week. Well sorry, a body can't do that, but below is a good guideline of how you should set up your account. Also, keep in mind that MFP already includes a deficit in the TDEE calculation and you should aim to eat 50-75% of your exercise calories, especially the closer your goal. As you approach your goal, your body will fight harder to maintain it's fuel source (fat stores) and until you feed them properly, will it not let go of the fear.



If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


Next exercise? What do you do for exercise? Do you do any strength training? If not, you should start and start lifting heavy and don't worry women can't bulk. They only get smaller and tighter (see below two links for proof).

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat&page=2#posts-5441852

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Get a food scale to make sure you are not Over Estimating portion size.

OP it is what you are eating not the calorie amounts that is the problem. Lots of bread and sweets, chocolate and cakes - this makes for high carbs that are empty calories, with little or no protein incorporated into your meals.

Forgive me for the following:

Tuesday under snacks = Wispa Gold, a Flake, a Drifter bar washed down with a diet coke - total equals 665 calories. That 665 calories would have been far better spent on a proper meal rather than the only meal you really had that day of beans on toast.

Many of your other days include junk.

You need to completely rethink your eating habits and then the weight will most likely start to decrease.