Beyond Frustrated

jdragione
jdragione Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
All --

In need of some serious advice, here is the situation.

Right now I am decently overweight, about 100 lbs. I am getting married in October and February 1st I set out to try to lose at least 50 lbs by my wedding. I figured if I lost 1-2 lbs a week I would definitely be able to do that. Since I am pretty big already I figured the weight would fly off (at least in the beginning). I am 28 years old. Before starting MFP I pretty much did NO exercise, I ate fast food, Chinese food, soda almost every day, and lived an extremely unhealthy lifestyle. My blood pressure was high, I would get heart palpitation every day, etc.

When I started MFP I cut all that out. No fast food, no soda, no Chinese food, no chocolate, nothing. I also started walking during my lunch break. I do about 3 miles per day (I try to do at least 3 days a week, sometimes 4 or 5) and it takes me about 50 minutes. According to the internet I am burning about 650 calories every walk. I am always within my calorie goal. In the morning I either drink a no-sugar added Breakfast Essentials or a slim fast shake. Lunch I have a lean cuisine meal or leftovers from dinner the night before and some kind of fruit or vegetable. And for dinner I try to make something healthy. Grilled chicken, or some kind of sloppy joe or Kraft Cheesy Skillets meal. They might not be the healthiest but I watch my portions and they are certainly better than burger king or mcdonalds. I also always have a vegetable with dinner. I always eat smaller portions and every day I am way under my 2200 calorie goal. Most days I am at about 1700 calories plus the 650 or so I burn from walking.

I figured going from NO exercise at all and the eating habits I had I would see an immediate improvement. Within 2 weeks I felt a lot better, people were telling me it looked like I had lost weight, and I had lost about 5 lbs. One week later I was up to 8 lbs lost. I have not changed a thing. I actually walk MORE now, and although I might cheat on the weekends once in a while, for the most part I am still around my calorie goal, and if I do cheat by eating out I try to have a salad, or grilled chicken wrap, or something reasonable instead of the 3000 calorie meal that I used to get. I have definately changed my eating habits and am more aware of what I am eating.

Well since I lost those 8 lbs it has been about a month. Every time I weight myself (normally once a week) I have been GAINING about 2 lbs. I weighed myself this morning again and I am now at EXACTLY the weight I started at on February 1st.

So in other words by cutting out junk food, fast food, Chinese food, soda; And by walking 3 miles at least 3x a week, and by watching my calories and being at about 1700 calories per day, eating fruits and vegetables, I have LOST NOTHING in almost 2 months. I thought it might be I was not eating enough but I am definitely eating 3-meals per day and I am getting good nutrition. I am definitely not starving myself , the foods that I do eat fill me up and I am not skipping meals.

At this point I am about to just give up. All this hard work for the past 2 months and I am exactly the weight where I started. I don't know what to do, and I thank you for reading this and offering any advice you can!

Replies

  • Gwoman2012
    Gwoman2012 Posts: 163 Member
    I'm sorry you are going through this :( Have you been to a doctor to have your thyroid checked (among other things)? Also, a lot of those meals (lean cuisines, kraft) have tons of sodium. How is your water intake?

    Other members are going to tell you to make your diary public :)
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    Yes- make your diary public :) Hard to give advice without seeing the goods.

    Don't give up- it's probably something simple to fix.
  • adswillis27
    adswillis27 Posts: 76 Member
    As hard as it may be to accept... It takes time. You didn't get to where you are now in a month or two, so you won't be able to change to something else in a month or two.

    You need to also be getting very close to your calorie goal for the day. Don't go too low or your deficit will become too large. I would consider eating a little bit more (assuming you portions and calculations are right) to get to your goal. If 2200 is you goal then 1700 is too low.

    Try to drink half your body weight in water (200 lbs drink 100 oz).

    Keep moving forward and don't give up!
  • jenlarz
    jenlarz Posts: 813 Member
    Very frustrating to get stuck. Sometimes our bodies resist change. Have you measured at all? Also make sure you are eating those exercise calories! Sounds backwards maybe, but it helps! If you need more support in this struggle feel free to add me!
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    You are not getting enough food sweetie. Don't despair, EAT. :)

    If your target is 2200 calories you need to eat 2200 calories.

    It should be spread out between breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack... not just into 3 meals.

    I would also increase your exercise a bit if you can. Walking is great but with 100lbs to lose, I think you need a little more.
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
    It's very frustrating!

    Are you eating your exercise calories back? If not, try eating some back (not all unless you have a good quality HRM as the amounts here and on other websites tend to be high).

    By what you mentioned of your meals you are eating a lot of processed foods and A LOT of sodium! Frozen and processed foods are FULL of sodium! Are you drinking enough water in a day? Getting fruits and veggies in?

    Try cooking everything from scratch. It takes a bit more time than heating up a frozen meals or something like that but it's much healthier for you.

    You should be eating to the goal set for you here plus a decent chunk of your exercise calories back.

    Good luck! Change up what you eat, change up your exercise and you should see results soon!
  • nancysiems
    nancysiems Posts: 4 Member
    It sounds like you were off to a good start. I have a few suggestions to help kick you back into losing again. The 3 mile walk isn't burning that many calories, so you have overestimated that calorie burn. I would suggest doing the walk a little longer and at least 5 times a week. Typically an hour of very very fast walking will only burn about 400 or so calories.... Also, are you able to get into the gym or do any light weight training?

    I would avoid all prepackaged meals, especially due to the high carb and sodium content, as well as some higher fat contents even with small portions. If you clean up your meals you are likely to see some changes in weight. For instance, eat 6 smaller meals and go for real foods to include chicken breast (baked), fresh veggies, salad with very little oil or a light balsamic, brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, egg whites, plain nonfat greek yogurt (add splenda and berries to help it taste better). Some almonds are a nice healthy fat to eat. Avoid all bread for the time being, even the whole grain kind. Replace with brown rice, sweet potato, cousous, quinoa, and occasionally a whole wheat pasta. I know that all sounds hard and possibly plain and gross, but I promise you that if you stick to it, you will see success.... good luck!
  • MammaC66
    MammaC66 Posts: 120 Member
    2200 sounds like way too much to me. I am 75 pounds from what I want to be and probably 85 from what the charts say is a healthy weight. I have to eat a little over 1300 cals in order to loose 2 pounds a week. 2200 is close to what I would have to eat to maintain. Also, are you sure your exercise calories burned is accurate? That might make a difference if it is not accurate and you are eating it all back.
  • lollypop_ginger
    lollypop_ginger Posts: 69 Member
    I agree with MammaC66, I'm 99.8 pounds from my goal weight and mfp says I should be eating 1,400 to lose 2 pounds a week, and mfp definitely over estimates calories burned, I'd suggest investing in a decent heart rate monitor
  • chachadiva150
    chachadiva150 Posts: 453 Member
    2200 sounds like way too much to me. I am 75 pounds from what I want to be and probably 85 from what the charts say is a healthy weight. I have to eat a little over 1300 cals in order to loose 2 pounds a week. 2200 is close to what I would have to eat to maintain. Also, are you sure your exercise calories burned is accurate? That might make a difference if it is not accurate and you are eating it all back.
    I'm going to agree with the above. I know it's controversial on MFP to tell someone to reduce their calories.

    There is enough medical advice and evidence that a program of 1200-1500 calories a day will not harm you. Everyone's body is different. If you've tried 1700-2200 and it's not working for you, try doing 1200-1500 to see what happens. Also, watch your sodium intake and cut out processed food like that Kraft Cheesy stuff. Bump up your cardio and get in some weight training at least twice a week.
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    You may want to switch up your calories. Try adding about 200 more a day and changing your exercise. It also sounds like your dinner meals are high in sodium try cooking more or looking for reduced sodium meals. Also, try to have at least two snacks a day in between meals. And drink a lot of water!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    He's male, though. Caloric requirements are higher. 2200 is possibly right if he's heavy enough, and he says he's been eating 1700 anyway.

    I'd double-check your logging -- make sure you're measuring if you're not, and including absolutely everything that crosses your lips, even bites. I'd also be slightly suspicious of the 650 calories from walking, but that shouldn't be enough error for 2 lbs/week.
  • jdragione
    jdragione Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks for all the replies guys! I agree the foods do have a lot of salt and I should probably be eating better, but I figured going from fast food, soda, etc EVERY day to this would help a bit.

    Also I know the walking is not a huge burn, but to go from NO exercise to walking an hour a day 3x a week is something.

    I will start fresh with all your suggestions and report back my results! Thank you for all the replies :)
  • catpow2
    catpow2 Posts: 206 Member
    That doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe your body went into starvation mode...? As others have suggested, be sure to eat all of your calories and also make sure those calories are 'good' calories, meaning lean proteins, complex carbs, and fruits and veggies. If you're eating too many 'bad' carbs (things made with white flour) and not enough protein--that could be part of the problem.

    Also you're eating less earlier in the day (it sounds like) and more at night--try the opposite. I eat my most of my carbs and calorie dense foods early on (milk, eggs, etc) and then have a light dinner--salad or veggies and lean protein, minimal carbs. Try making your own protein shakes instead of Slim Fast (waaaay too much sugar and not enough protein and probably not enough calories)--get a protein powder and almond or soy milk, then add little ice, and some fruit--you'll get more vitamins and minerals and protein. I would also try to eat no more than one 'packaged' or processed meal a day--I eat Lean Cuisine too--usually for lunch when I'm working because it's fast and easy. But then I always cook something healthy for dinner or vice versa.

    Finally, I noticed that you're male. I understand that you're discouraged right now but just know that you have a serious advantage in terms of losing weight and getting into shape just by being male. You naturally have more muscle and it's much easier for you to build more and fast--you're not fighting the fat-hording hormone estrogen every step of the way. So, it's probably just a matter of making sure you're eating enough and eating the right kinds of foods.
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
    I walk at least 2.4 miles 5 times a week. When I started walking at 350 pounds, I was burning 500 calories per hour each time but now it is 300 for 50 minutes. I have decided to up it to twice a day to make it 4.8 miles as I am now 50 pounds off.

    I am currently eating 1500 calories while I am not exercising but do up it to 1700 if I walk twice in a day.
  • d0gma
    d0gma Posts: 3,966 Member
    2200 sounds about right. When I started I was 288 and 2200 was what MFP told me I needed. The calorie burn for walking sounds kind of high, though. No one is trying to downplay what you're doing, going from no exercise to taking a regular walk is commendable and a great start. Just keep it going.
  • jadsholloway
    jadsholloway Posts: 1
    I have started this program for a month now. I really did not know how many calories I was burning. When i would enter my foods for the day I was meeting my goal. I would then enter my 30 minute cardio (biking) and would try to meet that. So I went and bought a Fitbit tracker and scale. Thought this would give myself a better idea. For the past month I wasn't losing a thing, but I was losing body fat. I went to 42% to 30.2% that sounded good. Still no weight loss, so I started to notice the amount i burn I was only entering my cardio excersie not my daily. I came to the conclusion I was starving myself. With the fit bit and MFP I actually burn 3400 calories a day and intake 2500. This is still difficult for me to lose weight. I am alo a Type 2 diabetic on a insulin pump. I have made an appoinment with the doctor and dietician. I am hoping to see better results in the next month or so.

    I'm trying to reduce the amount of carbs per day to reduce the amount of insulin.

    Does it seem I am on the right rack or do i need to eat more?
  • pmodreske
    pmodreske Posts: 1
    I know your frustration. I need to lose 40/50 pounds and like you thought that 2 pounds a week would be a good healthy amount to lose a week. I have been staying in the 1200 range of calories a day. I can get on the scale and see myself lose 1 pound but if I wait a couple of days it goes back up 2 pounds. Needless to say my weight is right where it was when I started recording my calories in April. I don't do any exercises but my job requires me to do a lot of walking around the facility so I figured that would count as walking. On the weekend I do have more calories a day. It's usually around 1300 a day.
    My question is if I start a regular walking routine will it really make a difference? And how many miles or how long of a walk will it need to do to make a difference

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