Does not work

2

Replies

  • Miiimii
    Miiimii Posts: 279 Member
    Your diary shows that you go over your allowance quite a bit. Is your calorie allowance the recommended one, or your own? What is your current weight, and/or how much do you want to lose?
    Thyroid problems can be a pain, but with the right medication, can be managed, try Kelp tablets, from your health shop. They work for me, and my family.

    Hi, yes sometimes I'm a bit over my allowance, but not much and not often (except last weekend). The calories allowance is the one from mfp. My current weight is 65kg (143lbs) and I want to go down to 58kg (127lbs).

    I already take medicine for my thyroid, so this should nat be the problem (the doc says).
  • dansls1
    dansls1 Posts: 309 Member
    I wish the website showed the cool graph of carb / protein / fat ratios like the app - but I'm guessing that you should be eating a bit more consistantly and trying to maintain some reasonable carb / protein / fat ratio. From the days when you do have everything you eat listed that ratio is all over the place - including some very fat heavy days - probably over 50%.
  • LexyLou_5
    LexyLou_5 Posts: 43 Member
    I'm having the same problem, except i have no medical problems...... :(
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    thanks for your advice. I checked my bmr on fat2fitradio and it says my bmr (just living) is around 1700. How much should I subtract to loose weight.

    If 1700 is your BMR you shouldn't subtract any to lose weight because your BMR is what your body needs just to function. Your body also needs calories for day-to-day activities and for digestion (we burn about 10% of our daily calories just digesting the food we eat). If this is true 1200 is about half of what you should be eating. If you entered all your info into MFP correctly it should have already subtracted the calories you need to lose weight so you might want to re-set your profile. I quickly did your calculations based on your 1700 calorie BMR and a sedentary lifestyle (little exercise) and 1930 calories per day would put you at a healthy 1 lb weight loss per week. Hope that helps.

    ETA: I just read your weight which would not put you at a 1700 BMR, more like 1400-1500. Roughly 1575 calories per day would give you a 1lb weight loss per week.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    If you are eating tofu, could that interfere with your thyroid? I have heard a lot about tofu acting as a hormone in our bodies, and maybe that could be affecting you. Could you try going a while without it?
  • Yes2HealthyAriel
    Yes2HealthyAriel Posts: 453 Member
    Try to keep your calories between 1200 and 1400 always, never go under that, it can slow down weight loss. Cut back on cheese. Also you might want to go into settings and add sodium on to your food diary goals. You may be too high and that can make you retain water. When you eat carbs try to have at least a tiny bit of protein with it. IF you are too ill to go out and do sports than do some exercise indoors even if it is just jogging in place, or sit ups for a few minutes here and there through out the day. A lil bit is better than nothing.
  • purplep41n
    purplep41n Posts: 40 Member
    I can't see if someone has answered this but if your BMR is 1700 then that is the minimum NET cals you should be eating a day. BMR is what you'd be given in hospital if you were unable to eat, move etc. 1700 cals in the minimum amount of cals that your body needs to do nothing at all except normal body functions.

    If you go below your BMR you will struggle in some way. Either you will lose weight but struggle to keep it off or like me your weight will constantly yo yo more up than down.

    From the looks of your diary, you may find it easier to stick to a diet consistently above 1700 cals.

    Its hard to understand after being told for most of your life that you need to eat 1000 to 1200 cals but if the minimum daily cals for a woman of healthy weight to maintain their weight is 2000 then it makes sense that for someone a lot larger could surely lose weight on 2000?

    Depending on their age, size, and activity level, toddlers need about 1,000-1,400 calories a day so why are women advised to eat this amount is beyond me.

    Eat for the body you want to maintain.
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    I have thyroid problems too, so the weight won't just fall off like I wish it would. A couple of things that help me a lot are getting around 100 grams of protein every day, 35-40 grams of fiber, and I drink 12-16 glasses of water every day. I also include nuts, olive oil, or avacado every day so I'm getting good fats. The other thing I've notice is that in comparing MFP workout calories to what people get on their heart rate monitors--especially for younger, heavier people--the burn is way too high. I have a good friend in your exact situation and when she got a heart rate monitor she discovered that the workouts she'd been getting 1200 calories credit for were only burning around 700. Once she had an accurate record of her burn, she started losing 1-2 pounds per week.

    One last thought. I don't know how much you're trying to lose and I don't think we're all made to look like bean poles, but if your bmi says you are obese and your doctor says you might be one of those people who can't lose weight, then I think you need a new doctor. On the other hand, if you're only about 10 pounds over what you want to be, your doc might be right--it may be your ideals that need an adjustment.
  • steadk
    steadk Posts: 334 Member
    I understand that most of the time you're able to do sports,and that's why you're able to eat that much over your goal cals. However, since you're not working out, your eating habits should have changed. Every once in awhile is fine, but overall, you should be eating less because your body is working less. Hope you are able to find a good balance for your journey
  • Sodium is the devil I say. I ate too much sodium and gained 4-5 lbs. I have lost it all again tho. Thank God! So saying that, make sure you have your information in correctly. take everything you eat. Just give it time. You said you are trying to fight off an infection. Your body needs to heal from that and you are trying to take nutrients away from it. Make sure that you are getting all your vitamins and such from your food if not take a supplement.
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    if you have a thyroid problem you will need to eat different kinds of foods to see results. you also probably need to eat more than 1,200 calories in addition to eating back the calories you burn when you exercise. if you open your food diary to the public we can give you more specific advice. good luck!

    That's not really true. I have Hashimoto's as well and I have lost almost 30lbs since I started (the end of January). You don't have to eat "different kinds of foods to see results, there are just foods you need to avoid when you have Hashimoto's - like Soy.

    I also closely monitor my sodium intake. I have my sodium goal set to 1800, and my fiber goal set to 30grams.

    The OP also said they're not currently allowed to exercise, so there are no burnt calories to eat back (as you stated they should be doing).

    Why don't people read posts in there entirety before commenting?
  • lbrennan00
    lbrennan00 Posts: 2 Member
    Ok. Having just viewed your diary, I want to amend my previous response.

    First of all, you have exceeded your calorie count about 90% of the time, and by exceeding, I mean you are about 600 to a 1000 calories or more OVER your calorie recommendation ALMOST EVERY DAY.

    Second, you must have a vague concept of vegan because you are eating salmon, shrimp, various cheeses and several other foods which are absolutely not vegan. Besides that, the cheeses and such you are eating are very rich, dense foods which contain fat.

    Personally, I don't care whether you are a vegan or not, I just wonder why you would say you were when you are clearly an omnivore on a daily basis.

    My advice for losing weight:

    1. Stay within a couple hundred calories of your recommended calorie most if not all days.

    2. get at least 15 minutes of exercise each day...something that raises your heart rate a little bit,

    3. Make sure you track everything, food and exercise, accurately.

    Good luck.

    Actually, she said she was a vegetarian and not a strict one.

    I do agree that for this program to help, you'll need to stay close to your calorie goal, but it also may be set too low. Maybe readjust your goals and then stay as close as you can to your calorie goal each day. I also agree that seeing a new doctor or nutritionist is probably a good plan with a thyroid condition. Good Luck!!!
  • TaylorsGranddad
    TaylorsGranddad Posts: 453 Member
    Hey I know how easy it is to get discouraged. And having a thyroid issue doesnt help. Are you on medication for your thyroid? Im just a few years older than you and have been struggling for 3 1/2 months to loose weight. One issue I realized was that I wasnt even eating enough for my body to function. I would suggest you try fat2fitradio.com and use the bmr calculator to determin how many calories your body needs to just live and function. And then do that for one to two months and see if that helps. Its all a guessing game I find. Its been the pits. But the important thing is to keep at it. Sometimes it takes a while for our bodies to get what we are trying to do. Maybe your dr. can refer you to a nutritionalist and talk to them. Without seeing your food diary I cannot say if its the foods your eating. But 1200 maybe too little calories. I know it was for me. Good luck! Dont give up! You're not alone.

    I just downloaded the fat2fitradio.com Iphone app... It's great thanks for the link..
  • MeadowSong
    MeadowSong Posts: 171 Member
    Is it possible for you to give up on the vegetarianism? I bet you're not getting the protein you need. And be careful of too much soy, can cause hormone trouble. My sister was a vegetarian for 30 years and gave it up a couple of years ago to add fish and poultry only and feels SO much better (she went on to give it up entirely when she became a Christian and is now, after 10 years at her goal weight). Also--a big problem is too much diet pop. Watch that one if you drink it (guessing you might not as health conscious as you are) but too much really contributes to feeling bad and that slows you down. I'd say stick to the 1700 calories plus what you need for working out and focus on health for a month, and then see where to go from there. I'm now using the "New Rules of Lifting for Women" and my just living calorie guideline is 1600, but on workout days it's 1800 and if I have a very active workout day it goes on to 2000. I've only done it a two weeks and only lost a pound, but have over-eaten several days. But the thing is I already feel so much better. And my weight had plateaued for months after losing steadily. Also (I'm 45) I had been referred to a "old lady hormone doctor" who found it was only my thyroid messing up again mostly, but was able to do a procedure to get some female problems in check. Been with this dr over a year now and has really improved my health.
    But golly, whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP. There will be a solution. Pray about it. Walk. Do healthy things to cope. Hang in there. Read (be careful reading--read enough to weed out the hokey stuff). Don't expect quick results--that sets you up for failure. Take pleasure in doing the right thing because it's right and don't get hung up when change comes slowly.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Your protein looks low (I only looked at a few days.) Build up your muscles with more protein (and lifting once you are allowed) and give yourself some extra burning power. :)

    Going back a couple of weeks, it seems like you may be eating a more maintenance amount than a fat burn amount. Good luck!
  • Shannonpurple
    Shannonpurple Posts: 268 Member
    Hi, I took a look at your diary too (thank you for taking the step of putting it out there!). I agree with the advice given so far about really being honest with yourself and staying within a couple of hundred cal. of your daily goal, log everything, etc., but would like to add a couple of comments.
    1. I see a lot of home cooked and well logged items ( went over the last 8 days or so) that's GOOD, but make the "quick add" entry your enemy. It gives you no information about FAT/CARBS/PROTEIN, and so on. You need that.

    2. You only eat 2 meals most days. Try to give yourself a little something spread out more often and see what happens. It might help.


    This is right... you need to eat breakfast when they say it is the most improtant meal of the day they are not kidding, you need to Break the fast that your body goes in every night. Try eating smaller meals more times a day ideal is 6 but i find myslef eating 5.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    You only get out of this what you put in.

    Weigh and measure your food every time you eat for one month. Then log it - no "Quick Calories"

    Without exercise, you need to be really sure about your food.

    Choose a calorie amount close to your BMR and eat that consistently. Start at 1700.

    Water. Lots.

    45 days of not doing all the right things doesn't give you any feeling of success. To feel successful, you have to do the work.
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
    Hello everybody,

    I'm a fintess pal since 45 days, but nothing happened at all. I'm taking it very serious and write down every calorie and was nearly never (three times) over my calorie goal. I even didn't lost one pound in the whole time. I already checked with my doctor and she said, there are people who could just eat bread and water and will gain weight. So probably I would never lose weight. That's really mad. I eat 1.200 calories a day and don't want to go lower, because that wouldn't be healthy. normally I do sports two or three times a week, but at the moment I'm ill and the doc said I'm not allowed to go to the gym. But even in my sporty times my weight didn't go down - and yes, I eat my training calories back.

    So ... is there any one with the same problem, who can give me some tipps. Maybe there is a way to trick my body. ;-)

    Best
    Miiimii

    P.S. I have thyroid problems (Hashimoto) but my results a perfect at the moment.

    I seriously can't believe your MD told you this. If it were me, I'd find another MD< or maybe an endo.

    You absolutely CAN lose weight with a thyroid problem. It takes diligence and you've gotten some great advice, but my best friend had her thyroid removed and is on levthyroixine at the moment. Before, when her thyroid was crazy, she had stayed at 205 for the longest. She set her mind to it, and though it took her longer, she lost 60lbs. that was 6 years ago. She is still the same weight.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I put the numbers in my spreadsheet. OP has been over her net 1200 goal 75% of the time, but is only averaging about net 1400 a day.
  • SublimelyMe
    SublimelyMe Posts: 42
    Quick calories are a killer. You've opened your diary but - I'm guessing most here are mainly English - so taking a look a your diary, even if I can't work out what each item is, I can see it's calorie dense. That's fine, but you don't seem to have any lesser dense foods, such as mixed veg, fruits etc. I could be wrong, but I think not stocking up on lots of fruit and veg - on the whole - is a ticket to failure.

    Be strict with yourself. If you measure and count every calorie religiously, you'll see the weight shift, so long as you add in the fruit and veg. Eating a ton of avocados and lentils is not recommended.

    And, if you cook homemade meals a lot. Put them into the recipe tool. That way you can make it again AND have all of the nutritional info ready for next time.
  • JamCubeChi
    JamCubeChi Posts: 378 Member
    Bump to reivew replies later.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    thanks for your advice. I checked my bmr on fat2fitradio and it says my bmr (just living) is around 1700. How much should I subtract to loose weight. I eat pretty healthy, cook a lot fresh stuff, eat no fast food or ready to eat stuff and I'm a vegetarian. I already asked my docotr why I don't lose weight and she said, everybody is different and probably my metabolism is very slow and not made for loosing weight. Or my psyche doesn't want to lose weight because I need protection. Don't know. It's just really frustrating. But many thanks for your nice words and help. I opend my diary, so probably you see any mistakes there.

    You never ever eat below BMR. Just wanted to let you know that.
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
    thanks for your advice. I checked my bmr on fat2fitradio and it says my bmr (just living) is around 1700. How much should I subtract to loose weight. I eat pretty healthy, cook a lot fresh stuff, eat no fast food or ready to eat stuff and I'm a vegetarian. I already asked my docotr why I don't lose weight and she said, everybody is different and probably my metabolism is very slow and not made for loosing weight. Or my psyche doesn't want to lose weight because I need protection. Don't know. It's just really frustrating. But many thanks for your nice words and help. I opend my diary, so probably you see any mistakes there.

    You never ever eat below BMR. Just wanted to let you know that.

    Why does MFP set you to eat below that then? I don't know if it does that for everyone but according to MFP my BMR is 1486 and it tells me to eat 1340 calories a day for a 1 pound a week loss (I have 50 pounds to lose). According to Fat2Fit my BMR is 1587 so I'm not sure how many calories to eat to be honest.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    if your doctor says you cannot loose weight, and you are overweight, perhaps you should get a second opinion (doctor-wise).
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
    thanks for your advice. I checked my bmr on fat2fitradio and it says my bmr (just living) is around 1700. How much should I subtract to loose weight. I eat pretty healthy, cook a lot fresh stuff, eat no fast food or ready to eat stuff and I'm a vegetarian. I already asked my docotr why I don't lose weight and she said, everybody is different and probably my metabolism is very slow and not made for loosing weight. Or my psyche doesn't want to lose weight because I need protection. Don't know. It's just really frustrating. But many thanks for your nice words and help. I opend my diary, so probably you see any mistakes there.

    You should never eat below your BMR.
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
    PS
    Find a new doctor.
  • Only1tracie
    Only1tracie Posts: 31
    One thing I noticed right away looking at your diary was this: Although your calories are down, you are going way over in fat and not getting enough protien

    For breakfast try eating 2 eggs and one egg white.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    You only get out of this what you put in.

    Weigh and measure your food every time you eat for one month. Then log it - no "Quick Calories"

    Without exercise, you need to be really sure about your food.

    Choose a calorie amount close to your BMR and eat that consistently. Start at 1700.

    Water. Lots.

    45 days of not doing all the right things doesn't give you any feeling of success. To feel successful, you have to do the work.

    ^^This. Mostly, anyway. I'd also say make sure you eat SOMETHING in the morning. Breakfast is the first boost your metabolism gets, and if you have difficulty losing weight, it could very well make a HUGE difference. So, try eating breakfast, keep your calories consistent from day to day, no more quick add, weigh and measure EVERYTHING you put in your mouth, and dink at least 64 oz of water a day. Try it for a month and see what happens. Oh, and good luck!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    thanks for your advice. I checked my bmr on fat2fitradio and it says my bmr (just living) is around 1700. How much should I subtract to loose weight. I eat pretty healthy, cook a lot fresh stuff, eat no fast food or ready to eat stuff and I'm a vegetarian. I already asked my docotr why I don't lose weight and she said, everybody is different and probably my metabolism is very slow and not made for loosing weight. Or my psyche doesn't want to lose weight because I need protection. Don't know. It's just really frustrating. But many thanks for your nice words and help. I opend my diary, so probably you see any mistakes there.

    You never ever eat below BMR. Just wanted to let you know that.

    Why does MFP set you to eat below that then? I don't know if it does that for everyone but according to MFP my BMR is 1486 and it tells me to eat 1340 calories a day for a 1 pound a week loss (I have 50 pounds to lose). According to Fat2Fit my BMR is 1587 so I'm not sure how many calories to eat to be honest.
    Because that's what you set it for. It just takes your TDEE and subtracts 500. It's up to you to determine if that is healthy.
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
    You're probably already doing this, but I'll mention it just in case-- weigh and measure your food, don't just eyeball it.

    It may seem to some that this can't be all that important, but it is. Most of us can't trust our eyes.

    I agree. Guessing portion sizes you could be underestimating your calories and eating 20-25% more than what you think you are. Seeing as most people are setting their calories for a 20-25% deficit.... eyeballing measurements could be killing your deficit, and IMO this is the first thing anyone should be sure about before lowering how many calories in their meal plans etc.

    If you're sure that you're not losing despite eating at 1200 cals/day, then all the other advice on the thread applies. Your doc is wrong about some people who will always gain weight no matter what. If you are eating at a deficit you will lose weight - some people have metabolic issues that mean what's a deficit for everyone else is a surplus for them, and these need to be sorted out. Thyroid problems, certain medications, or undereating for prolonged periods ( which results in adaptive thermogensis) are common causes of the metabolism not being where it should be.