Rant: It's Week 4

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2

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  • ellesoul
    ellesoul Posts: 125 Member
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    i know whats heatlhy and not...

    it just amazes me that people sneak in oreos, ice cream, etc... none of which I eat... and are losing tons of pounds...

    I don't plan to eliminate carbs completely (especially my daily granola bar, ther's no way I'm cutting that)... but I'll try to avoid the other stuff (rice, regular bread - i recently bought ezekiel bread that I have to try , etc.
  • ellesoul
    ellesoul Posts: 125 Member
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    rainbowbow

    I always underestimate calories burned... i usually shave off 50 of what the machine says or what MFP says I've burned... but I think that evens it out since most people say neither are accurate

    I also don't include the 1/2 - 1 mile walk to and from home that I do everyday
  • Faintgreeneyes
    Faintgreeneyes Posts: 730 Member
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    Here is just my .02 worth. You could be over estimating how many calories you are burning, and under estimating how many calories you are actually eating!

    I am on a 1500 cal a day diet now- which for me is set to lose .5 lbs a week. What is your weight loss set at? 2 lbs a week? 1lb? perhaps change that up if you find that you are still hungry eating all those cals without eating back your exercise calories. I know that I do not normally eat back my exercise cals, because I am not sure of the accuracy of them. I like to leave myself a little cushion just in case.

    I am far from being the perfect, healthy eater- but if you want take a look at my diary if you want some suggestions on some foods to eat. I love having a salad at lunch, lots of veggies, and I feel full. I will also add in a hard boiled egg, or some other protein, like lunch meat but leave the bread out.

    Some people it takes a little bit of time to see any major change. Don't beat yourself up over it. Know that you are making the right steps to live a healthy and active life. Everything else will fall into place eventually. :)

    Good luck!
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
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    It's gotta be your caloric intake. I highly doubt it's water related to water after four weeks (c'mon you guys!).
    You are either eating too many or way too little (starvation mode).
    Let's assume you are eating too many: it's simple math = eat less than you burn and you have to lose weight. That's why we all can "sneak" orios and stuff, as long as you stay under your caloric intake, you are good. (although, you might want to make sure you are getting enough of everything healthy!!)

    I would suggest taking a hard look at your BMR, TDEE, etc and adjusting them. (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-) is helpful.
    If that is too complex, just try dropping your daily caloric limit by 250 cals, stick that way for a week (that's about half a pound a week less). See how you are from there, and then drop another 250 if necessary. But don't shoot for losing more than 2 lbs a week.

    And yeah, be careful eating back your exercise calories, yeah you should but usually "calories burned" is usually generous on MFP, so be conservative.

    You SHOULDN'T eliminate carbs completely. Use your MFP goals for it as a guide, just MAKE SURE you are getting enough protien and not too much fats.
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 888 Member
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    Elle...I made my diary public. You can look at it.

    I have to eat simple because I hate to cook. I have just added some more fruits and vegis back into my diet.

    I am trying to keep carbs around the 100-120 range and my protein around the 150 range.

    I eat my oatmeal (love it) but I did cut out breads and granola bars. Maybe eat a protein bar...I love mine!

    My diary is not perfect by any means...but it can give you something to look at and get some simple ideas. Also, I cheat on Friday...so if you look on Fridays....it is bad!! And sometimes I mildly cheat on Saturday!! ;)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    I would go into your goals and change your carbs/protein/fat ratio to 40/30/30 and really bump up your protein. If you can, ditch the gnc shake for a lower calorie one with much higher protein. Mine is 100 calories a scoop with 22 grams of protein. Fills me up a lot. You have a nice selection of foods! Try not eating back all the calories...I did that too and couldn't lose even though I was busting *kitten* at the gym. A food scale is very affordable. Under 20 bucks. When you are able to, definitely give that a try. I'm sorry you're having a hard time. I totally understand!
  • getsveltEagain
    getsveltEagain Posts: 1,063 Member
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    2000 calories seems like a lot for a woman even if you are active...
    I agree that you should eat more meat/vegetables and cut out the extra carbs and sugars. Granola bars are basically candy. Junk food is ok as an occasional treat but it seems to make it into your daily diet.

    I routinely eat close to 2000 a day and lose pretty consitantly. I have my goal set at 1920 and am seeing between 1/2 a pound to 1 pound a week. I am in the last 15 - 20 pounds so I want that slow and steady drop.

    I recommend looking into the sodium you are eating. That was a big shocker to me! I have worked hard to get more fruits and veggies in my diet and that is working for me. But then again it has taken me a long time to get this right :wink:

    Hope this helps!
  • mrscewinters
    mrscewinters Posts: 38 Member
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    My husband and I had gasteric sleeve surgery in December. We learned so very much about nutrition that I had never thought of. There are two giant helpers! One is the order that you eat your foods. Protein first, then non-starch veggies, then fruit, then starches and bread. It really helps you fill up on the right things first so you don't eat as much of the "other" choices. The hardest one to learn was NOT to drink with meals, including 10 minutes before and 30 minute after. By not drinking you don't wash your food through your system faster. I honestly thought it was crazy and I couldn't do it, but when I spoke with the Nurse Practitioner (sp) she told me to give it my best and I stopped feeling like I was starving all the time! For me the sleeve makes my tummy "prime real estate." SO every bite counts. Also, a behavior counselor said this. Hunger is not accuratly measureable. Think of eating as nutritional oportunities and set measureable goals. Ex: protien count, calories, limited carbs. Good luck to everyone this is one of the hardest things I have ever tackled!
  • bj6886
    bj6886 Posts: 60 Member
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    DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on weight loss.

    I did notice that you consumed cheese almost daily sometimes twice a day. For some folks cheese makes no difference. I have to watch the amount of cheese. For some odd reason, it slows down / stalls my weigh loss.
  • realtreegirl
    realtreegirl Posts: 101
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    well since you posted, I'll offer some suggestions....

    1) Honestly I've found with myself and most of my friends that they put in the bare minimum effort when working out at the gym. And often times people think they only need to do the bare minimum for 30 minutes and they are good. I started taking classes and it has been my saving grace....I realized that I wasn't pushing myself as hard I could, and a huge key to weight loss from exercise is getting your heart rate up for prolonged periods of time. I only started seeing results when I was working out for an hour or more at a time and working out hard.

    2) I peeked at your diary and you have a LOT of carbs and extra sugars in your diet that you could cut. It's not necessarily for everyone....but maybe you need a drastic diet change. Not merely cutting calories but changing how you put food into your body all together. Again, for me, I only started to see results when I started eating RADICALLY different.

    good luck

    This is soooo true!! I still eat the same amount of calories but the last couple weeks I have really watched my salt intake and lowered my carb intake. A friend of mine that is on here, she has lost a lot of weight and looks amazing. I asked her what I should do to help me lose weight and she said for sure watch my sodium intake and also to set my food diary so that it is 40% Carbs, 45% protein, 15%fat and 2500 sodium. Since I have done this along with upping my exercising, I try to burn 500 or more calories a day and do a lot of cardio and I have noticed a difference. My friend also told me to eat my carbs in the morning or at lunch but after that try to limit your carb intake at supper. Good luck and hang in there!!!!
  • wisebadger53
    wisebadger53 Posts: 382 Member
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    ive tried to not eat back my workout calories, but I'm always hungry... I guess I need to try to find lower cal and lower carb meals/snacks....

    Try to replace some of your carbs with protein. This tends to fill me up for a longer period of time. Protein bars (but watch the sugar content), and protein powder or shakes work for me. I just started using Pure Protein bars that I get at Walmart for around $6.50 for a box of 6 bars. Pretty tasty, filling, and 20g of protein per bar with only 2g of sugar.

    This along with plenty of water may help. Good luck!
  • havetubawilltravel
    havetubawilltravel Posts: 649 Member
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    I'd drastically lower the carbs and substitute protein (and even some "good" fats). It's been my experience that hunger seems to be satisfied more completely with protein/fat. Fruits and veggies won't hurt, but try to stay with high-fiber stuff, and keep 'em raw/uncooked....
    JMHO--works for me.
  • hellraisedfire
    hellraisedfire Posts: 403 Member
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    since you cook a lot, definitely cook extra for breakfast and work! I didn't look at your diary, but a lot of poeple tend to eat out for those two meals since they have work early in the day. don't worry about eating eggs and bagels for only breaksfast, if you had a healthy stirfry for dinner the night before, have it for breakfast too! other healthy snacks that are easy are hard boiled eggs, carrots, greek yogurt, granola bars, peanut butter, spinach in a bag, oatmeal.
    keep in mind if you have high sodium and high water intake, you will retain the water from the sodium. sodium and water work together and make you pee less, thus weighing more. this is bad (in your case) HOWEVER, I'veseen you workout a lot, you need to keep your potassium/sodium levels UP to keep your muscles from hurting or possibly causing an injury. so besides natural salt in healthy foods, avoid adding salt or really salty potato chips.
    I second the 40/30/30. If you workout frequently, MFP doesn't have enough protein in your diet.

    with dinner every night I have a salad first made of spinach, grape tomatoes, and sliced cucumber. I make homemade fat free dressing but you can buy that in a store :) it really fills you up and a cup of spinach is 4 calories.
  • havetubawilltravel
    havetubawilltravel Posts: 649 Member
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    Oh, and what helped me the most: Don't eat ANYTHING in the last three hours before bedtime; water only. You'll be amazed.
  • ellesoul
    ellesoul Posts: 125 Member
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    thanks for all the info everyone...

    I'm going to try switching things up a bit, and I'll definitely change my MFP settings
  • missigus
    missigus Posts: 207 Member
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    It looks like you are consuming back all of your exercise calories most days. I know there is a lot of debate on here whether to do that or not. I think everyone's metabolism is different. I never eat back all my exercise calories. I simply can't. I bump my calories up to about 1500 once or twice a week only. (I'm on 1200 cals.) For me, that is enough of a jolt to my metabolism that it so far has kept me losing. If you are not losing much in terms of fat, try to do as much cardio as you can and then maybe eat back 1/2 the calories and see if it make a difference.

    Also, I have started eating "cleaner" than I was. I eat lots of veggies, protein, some fruit and things that I prepare myself. I try not to rely on pre-made stuff as much. I mean I'll eat the occasional thing like some pretzles or sugarfree pudding maybe once a day, but I've cut a lot of that out. Also, I cut out cheese- I saw someone else say the same thing. If I do eat it, it's the 2% type.

    For me, I just think it's that I'm consuming way less calories while exercising- taking advantage of that expenditure. We all gotta try different things till we find what works.
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
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    There is a lot you can change to achieve a better weight loss. Looking back, almost everyday, you are over on your carbs, fat, sugar, and sodium. You had it at 2000 calories a day and you were eating back your workout calories. That is a lot! Even if you're under your calories, the fat, carbs, sodium, and sugar will kill your diet plan! Get those out of the red and back in the green and I bet you start to notice a big difference.

    That will come with diet change, lots of fresh fruits and veggies to replace the other things that you've been eating!
  • joeysims
    joeysims Posts: 12
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    Your welcome to look through my food diary I love yummy food but work to keep it health and focus on lean proteins and veggies. Might give you some good idea's! :)
  • ellesoul
    ellesoul Posts: 125 Member
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    emnjjsmom
    i just changed my food settings/goal percentages, so it shows all red now, I also just added the sugar and sodium setting... before I was almost always at or under the goals

    im going to start only eat back 25-50% of my exercise calories on the days when I feel really hungry
  • ken4luvonly
    ken4luvonly Posts: 11
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    Hey love I looked at you diary just for today....but i can tell you from just glancing you are way high on the carbs and real low on protein..First try switching that (you can change that in MFP). Secondly, take you caloric intake down to 1,200 not 1500. You can take it back to 1500-1700 once you get to a mainenace weight and/or start lifting. For breakfast, granola bar and cheese is a NO GO..Try boiled egg and turkey sausage and 16oz of water..The protein will fill you up for a snack before lunch a protein shake, or protein bar something low in carbs high in protein. For lunch maybe do Tuna on lettuce..you see where Im going..im just throwing things out there.. Also, I learned in the military it takes 30days for the body to respond to anything new and consistent... DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY..big mistake..weigh yourself every 30 days....maybe every 2 weeks if you HAVE TO GET ON THE SCALE.......Keep me posted!!! DRINK WATER THAT EQUALS HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT EVERY DAY....that is hard but that is the KEY.....USDA been changed that recommened 64oz/8cups a day rule!!!

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