At a stand still. PLEASE HELP!

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BABY14342069
BABY14342069 Posts: 11
in Motivation and Support
Can someone tell me what on earth I am doing wrong? I have been eating right. I eat veggies, fruits, chicken and fish I drink nothing but water. I exercise for an hour or more 5 times a week. I swear Im doing EVERYTHING right but my weight wont budge!! I am getting really depressed over this and am about to give up on losing weight. I try and try so hard and nothing is working... Can someone help me and tell me what Im doing wrong??
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  • basslinewild
    basslinewild Posts: 294 Member
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    Could it be that you're losing inches, instead of pounds? I have been working out for a few months, and the scale hasn't changed much. But I have lost quite a few inches off my waist and thighs.
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 820 Member
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    Are you eating enough to fuel the workouts you're doing? Do you have a heart rate monitor to know with some accuracy the number of calories you're burning?

    MFP has two inherent problems - One, it sets calorie goals really low, encouraging people to net calories below their BMR which isn't optimal. And two, the data in the exercise database tends to run too high, maybe added by people who were overly optimistic about what they were burning. Sorting out those two things might give you a boost.


    And yes, take measurements - don't go only by the number on the scale. :)
  • Vis_Viva
    Vis_Viva Posts: 17 Member
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    My wife went through spans where the pounds were not numerically changing much but her body definitely was. Her clothes were fitting very differently. And ironically the opposite was happening to me. Numbers-wise I was loosing TONS of weight but it wasn't really changing the clothes as much (some but not as dramatically as her). She was annoyed had the numbers but she was definitely improving significantly.

    If you do want to break through a wall, however, you might switch the type of exercise you are doing.
  • brendacs21
    brendacs21 Posts: 180 Member
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    Happening to me as well. I have been actively trying to lose weight for about a month and a half. Right off the bat i lost like 5 lbs. The last 3 pounds i have literally lost like 1/4 of a pound a week.. I did measure and only lost a little bit inches wise too. It was extremely discouraging. BUT my clothes do fit different, my arms dont look as big, my legs are starting to look great! And everytime i bump into people they tell me i look like ive lost alot of weight!! I just decided today i will quit setting a specific scale goal because when i dont make it i totally crumble. i will just keep doing what im doing (working out, eating healthy etc) and every couple of weeks or so weigh in and go from there. i just cant take the scale feedback on my journey anymore! (not on a regular basis anyway)
  • Vis_Viva
    Vis_Viva Posts: 17 Member
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    Really? I kind of have to disagree that it is purely over-optimistic

    I HAVE found the exercise stuff to be fairly inaccurate but that it is AS likely to be underestimated as overestimated. I usually cross-reference with other sources of information. Livestrong is good for some exercise. Between that and a medical website (sorry forgot the name) I made a heck of a guess as to what I should do regarding weight lifting. Sure it's mostly strength but I have to count it somewhat and it was hard to come up with something. I should work harder to make that estimate better, but I'm loosing weight, getting stronger (time to get more weights again already) and feeling better.

    I also use "map my ride" (or "map my run" if you run; basically the same app). My wife also uses a Garmin for her run and ports it into "map my run". I'm thinking of getting a Garmin too since it's more accurate than my phone using "map my ride".

    Basically I use my MFP for food (great database and handy way to keep track) and other sources for serious or semi-serious exercise, while logging that exercise in MFP manually. Some other things (like mowing the lawn) I tend to use MFP. I've found they only differ from other sources by a few 10's of calories for that kind of thing.

    So I definitely agree that you should cross-reference exercise, don't think you should assume it's under-shooting.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,114 Member
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    We need to see your Food Diary. Also, what is the answer to these questions:

    1. Your age
    2. Your current weight
    3. Your goal weight
    4. Your Goals (how many pounds a week are you trying to lose)
    5. Your activity level (do you have a job, go to school, have kids? What do type of exercise do you do and how often?)
  • BABY14342069
    BABY14342069 Posts: 11
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    I am 30 I wont say my weight, my goal weight is 180 my goal is 5 lbs a month my activity level is high. I am always on the go. I am unemployed, so I am always walking my dog, doing yard work, as for exercises I swim. I do about 60 laps a day and not just slow I go all out competition swimming. I use to be on the swim team in High school. I also walk the treadmill and I am leaning Taichi.

    as for eating this is what I did today:
    I had for lunch Grilled fish sandwich with no condiments
    for dinner I had a english muffin with honey and Activia vanilla yogurt
    for a snack I had one serving of Wasabi peas,and a 1/4 serving of sunflower seeds
  • BABY14342069
    BABY14342069 Posts: 11
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    I will have to just be okay with everything I guess
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    So you're eating under a 1000 calories net?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I am 30 I wont say my weight, my goal weight is 180

    as for eating this is what I did today:
    I had for lunch Grilled fish sandwich with no condiments
    for dinner I had a english muffin with honey and Activia vanilla yogurt
    for a snack I had one serving of Wasabi peas,and a 1/4 serving of sunflower seeds

    Not even close to enough calories if you are active. Figure out what your TDEE is then subtract 500 and eat at that number for a while. Try adding strength training.
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
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    I think you're not eating enough based on the total intake you've indicated in your post. My suggestion would be to try to never net consistently below your BMR and add more strength training.
  • babygurl48
    babygurl48 Posts: 1,236 Member
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    as for eating this is what I did today:
    I had for lunch Grilled fish sandwich with no condiments
    for dinner I had a english muffin with honey and Activia vanilla yogurt
    for a snack I had one serving of Wasabi peas,and a 1/4 serving of sunflower seeds
    definetely not eating enough, that i would say for sure.
  • JodieElijah
    JodieElijah Posts: 136 Member
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    Is that how much you'd normally eat in a day? It really doesn't sound like enough for the activity level you do.
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
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    I am 30 I wont say my weight, my goal weight is 180 my goal is 5 lbs a month my activity level is high. I am always on the go. I am unemployed, so I am always walking my dog, doing yard work, as for exercises I swim. I do about 60 laps a day and not just slow I go all out competition swimming. I use to be on the swim team in High school. I also walk the treadmill and I am leaning Taichi.

    as for eating this is what I did today:
    I had for lunch Grilled fish sandwich with no condiments
    for dinner I had a english muffin with honey and Activia vanilla yogurt
    for a snack I had one serving of Wasabi peas,and a 1/4 serving of sunflower seeds

    Baby, if that is all you ate today, you are not eating enough. That will not even come close to sustaining what you burn without any exercise, let alone with all the activity you are doing. You should increase your calories. What are you currently set at?
  • BABY14342069
    BABY14342069 Posts: 11
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    >.< I cant eat a lot. I get to nervous when it gets close to where my goal is for the day, and I panic and stop eating. I usually eat more than what I did today but I was feeling under the weather today. I appreciate everyone's advice. I will talk to my friend Suheil about doing strength training, he is the one who is teaching me Tia chi, He is very into working out. So I will see if he can do it with me.
  • Byrdsong1920
    Byrdsong1920 Posts: 336 Member
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    I hit my plateau too...my nutritionist suggestion varying my workouts.... maybe try doing light weights and high reps. 1st and then your cardio. Try to find your target heart rate for fat burning.... Formal I found is 220, minus your age, multipy by 70% to show your max fat burn target heart rate. Mine was 129 BPM (beat per minute)which seemed so slooowww for me , but got more out of my workouts this way. Our bodies get use to our workouts and wont allow you to get the most out of them. Vary the order of workouts and maybe do 2-3 different cardio machines during your workout and stay in your ideal fat burn zone for alteast 20 mins. at a time. Also, try 'circuit training' at the gym....good variety of weights and cardio. Your body will trip out w/the change and will let you burn.

    Also try to stick to higher protein in morning and eat your complex carbs throughout the day and avoid carbs like starchy stuff (white rice, white bread, etc.) and watch sugars like grapes, pineapple, junk food and processed foods. Eat 5 times a day, breakfast, lunch ,dinner and 2 snacks. Eat all the calories MFP suggests adn you'll be good. Keep your water up too and avoid sodas and sugary drinks.

    good luck!
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
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    >.< I cant eat a lot. I get to nervous when it gets close to where my goal is for the day, and I panic and stop eating.

    If you don't eat enough for long your body slows your metabolism and makes it harder for you to lose weight. It also makes it easier to gain weight. I had a problem netting 1200 when I started here too, for fear of eating too much and not losing weight. I had to up my cals to 1300 to be able to eat 1200.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    If you aren't losing and you're eating at a huge deficit, it is more than time to teach yourself to eat more. It seems counterproductive to eat more to weigh less but when it comes to those of us who undereat, we have to do it to fix our bodies. I even had to set myself a schedule to eat by in order to teach my body to send me hunger signals.

    Then I started reading about eating more to weigh less and the theory behind it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

    Doesn't this sound more fun than being afraid to eat?
  • DeanneLea
    DeanneLea Posts: 261
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    >.< I cant eat a lot. I get to nervous when it gets close to where my goal is for the day, and I panic and stop eating. I usually eat more than what I did today but I was feeling under the weather today. I appreciate everyone's advice. I will talk to my friend Suheil about doing strength training, he is the one who is teaching me Tia chi, He is very into working out. So I will see if he can do it with me.

    I would go insane eating what you're eating. Seriously. I love food and try to incorporate my old, unhealthy favorites but modified to healthier versions. I eat 6 meals a day typically and dont allow myself to get hungry. I also have high/low days rather than eating the same exact amount of cals everyday.

    Im not trying to be harsh but if you are panicking over eating the right amounts of food, you're going to have to work on that mentality in order to be successful. Think of this as a long term commitment to being healthy rather than a temporary fix for being overweight. I would bet your slow losses are due to your eating as opposed to your exercise routine.
  • ByrdMessy
    ByrdMessy Posts: 94
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    I get to nervous when it gets close to where my goal is for the day, and I panic and stop eating.

    Then change your goal!! If your goal is 1200 now and you're active all day everyday and you're plateauing, just imagine what you're going to have to do to lose the last ten lbs! Your body doesn't think it's ever going to be fed enough again to keep up with your activity, so it's gonna hold on for dear life to what it's got on it--L.B.'s. The name of the game is not torture. Teach your body how to deal with an appropriate amount of healthy food going into it.

    And I'm having one heck of a fight with the scale right now, too. But because I don't see results, I'm gonna be open to what people are redundantly telling me...

    EAT SOMETHING!!
  • BABY14342069
    BABY14342069 Posts: 11
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    okay. I will push myself to finish the last 200 cal that I need to meet my daily goal. Thanks for all your help guys. Wish me luck =^_^=

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