Any suggestions? A month in and NOTHING is happening.
Replies
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Can y'all define "clean"? The taco bell and chick fil a this week weren't my finest hour, but if you look back further we've been doing a lot of grilled chicken and veggies, pita chips and avocado as a snack- aren't those things good?
Also, MFP keeps telling me that I'm going over on protein, but y'all are saying there's not enough?
And in this thread alone, I've had one person say eat your exercise calories and one person say don't! I thought you SHOULD?
Sorry for all the questions- I've used MFP successfully before but I don't guess I did it "right"!
Lean meat/fish, fresh veggies, complex carbs (sweet potato, multi-grain, brown rice), black beans. Stay away from processed food. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store.0 -
I've actively tracking for about a month now and exercising about 5 our of 7 days each week (zumba and running for the most part). I wear a heart rate monitor so I'm pretty sure my calories burned are accurate and I measure EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth.
In the past month I have actually GAINED 3 lbs- I went from 202 to 205- and am now fluctuating between those two weights! This is so weird to me because every other time I've decided to lose some weight, it just comes right off (slowly, but still it comes off!)!
Any suggestions regarding my eating or exercise? Thanks!
I have noticed, just in the past week, that your sugar intake is always over. Not sure if that is all the time but, maybe something to take into account. I personally have an issue so, I always ask people if that is an issue for them. Sometimes the extra sugar intake causes a problem with losing weight. I.M.O. try cutting out/back the extra sugar & "bad" carbs. Again, just my opinion. GOOD LUCK!0 -
Can y'all define "clean"? The taco bell and chick fil a this week weren't my finest hour, but if you look back further we've been doing a lot of grilled chicken and veggies, pita chips and avocado as a snack- aren't those things good?
Also, MFP keeps telling me that I'm going over on protein, but y'all are saying there's not enough?
And in this thread alone, I've had one person say eat your exercise calories and one person say don't! I thought you SHOULD?
Sorry for all the questions- I've used MFP successfully before but I don't guess I did it "right"!
Clean eating is non-processed foods. Basically if it comes in a box or package it is not clean (ie crackers, cookies). So someone who eats clean eats lean meats, fruits, veggies, etc. I aim for smarter choices and healtheir foods, but I don't think I could ever eat 100% clean (or 70% for that matter).
Yes you should eat your exercise calories back. That is HUGELY debated here but it is the way MFP is set up. People can do what they choose to do, but I don't understand how they can argue that you shouldn't eat them back when clearly the program sets it up for you to eat them back. Eating back E calories does NOT make you gain weight and it does NOT make you maintaine your current weight (a very common misconception I've seen spread through the boards).0 -
I don't think it's a huge shock that it's difficult to lose weight when you're having taco bell or chik fil a almost 7 days a week.
I'm mainly surprised that I'm not losing any weight because two months I was eating worse and basically sedentary. I figured doing a little better on eating and exercising a lot would at least make SOMETHING happen.0 -
i like to track my fiber because it gives me a better view of overall "cleanliness" of the food. fiber helps clean the body on the inside (i think of it like an internal brush)
like others, I agree that eating out is probably more your issue than anything else. if you're having trouble not eating out, try making 1 day a week a no-out day and then increase that by one day every couple of weeks until you're only eating out a couple times a month.
hth,
k0 -
a good rice "replacement" is quinoa, too. I like spicy food, so I cook it with minced garlic and peppers.0
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Can y'all define "clean"? The taco bell and chick fil a this week weren't my finest hour, but if you look back further we've been doing a lot of grilled chicken and veggies, pita chips and avocado as a snack- aren't those things good?
Also, MFP keeps telling me that I'm going over on protein, but y'all are saying there's not enough?
And in this thread alone, I've had one person say eat your exercise calories and one person say don't! I thought you SHOULD?
Sorry for all the questions- I've used MFP successfully before but I don't guess I did it "right"!
Clean eating is non-processed foods. Basically if it comes in a box or package it is not clean (ie crackers, cookies). So someone who eats clean eats lean meats, fruits, veggies, etc. I aim for smarter choices and healtheir foods, but I don't think I could ever eat 100% clean (or 70% for that matter).
Yes you should eat your exercise calories back. That is HUGELY debated here but it is the way MFP is set up. People can do what they choose to do, but I don't understand how they can argue that you shouldn't eat them back when clearly the program sets it up for you to eat them back. Eating back E calories does NOT make you gain weight and it does NOT make you maintaine your current weight (a very common misconception I've seen spread through the boards).
I have never really eaten back my exercise calories and have managed to lose 50 pounds since January, i'm on my feet all day and also exercise every day and there is no way im gonna eat over 1500 extra calories because i have burnt them off. I think it is personally up to the individual what they do bout exercise calories. I don't and it has worked, others do and it works too. We are all different so body reacts differently0 -
Can y'all define "clean"? The taco bell and chick fil a this week weren't my finest hour, but if you look back further we've been doing a lot of grilled chicken and veggies, pita chips and avocado as a snack- aren't those things good?
Also, MFP keeps telling me that I'm going over on protein, but y'all are saying there's not enough?
And in this thread alone, I've had one person say eat your exercise calories and one person say don't! I thought you SHOULD?
Sorry for all the questions- I've used MFP successfully before but I don't guess I did it "right"!
Other than the "should/should not eat back exercise calories," the advice in this thread has been pretty good. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories. However, you must be honest with the level of activity and duration, and you should consider your weight in calculating your exercise, since that will impact the number of calories burned. Usually good advice is to be conservative when calculating calories burned and liberal when estimating calories consumed.
As for clean eating, track all of the nutrients, including sodium. Eating out and/or eating highly processed foods will up your sodium intake, which can cause water retention. When you prepare foods at home, it needs to be things that you purchased raw or whole, and prepared without the addition of a lot of processed ingredients. It's hard to lose weight if you include pizza, rich pastas, cheeses, and similar foods in your normal diet. Think raw, natural, fresh, and you won't go far wrong.
Several of us have open diaries, and allow others to see what we eat. Feel free to read others diaries for ideas.
HTH0 -
bump for later0
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How much are you eating? It may be too much OR it COULD be too less. Sodium intake? Have you taken measurements? Are your clothes fitting better?
Could TOM be around the corner?
Again, what the others have said... you may be eating the right amount of calories but the WRONG foods!0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!0 -
Other than the "should/should not eat back exercise calories," the advice in this thread has been pretty good. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories. However, you must be honest with the level of activity and duration, and you should consider your weight in calculating your exercise, since that will impact the number of calories burned. Usually good advice is to be conservative when calculating calories burned and liberal when estimating calories consumed.
I have a Polar heart rate monitor that I wear during all exercise- it takes into account my age, weight, etc and it is timed. That should be pretty accurate with the calories burned, right?0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
Because it is a HABIT for us to leave school/work at noon and meet up with his friends for playdates at Chick Fil A, etc.0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
I have the same problem with a 2-year old. I try to do better for lunch but, sometimes, hectic-ness makes it hard. The biggest thing I have found is trying to eat "in" more and less out. Cooking extra at dinner and eating leftovers is great, and also cooking on the weekends to have for the week helps too. But, agian, it isnt easy. I work 40 hours a week and have a 30 minute communte both ways. My in-laws cook for us a lot because they watch the little one and figure it is easier on us if they cook so, it isnt aways as healthy as it could be.
Keep fighting and working on changing habits. It isnt easy and is going to take some time to get thing "converted" (heck, been trying for a year and STILL trying!!). GOOD LUCK AND DONT GIVE UP!!0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
One problem is making the time to get the food together while getting the baby's food together. Also, having a 2-yr old PERIOD is a lot of time and wanting to make sure you spend time with him/her AND also making time for yourself AND making time for the fmialy, etc. TIME, in general is the problem. The healthiest way to Bring Your Lunch is to make/cook something instead of having a pre-packaged meal. And, to do that, you have to pre-cook. Sometimes, the time to do that just isnt there.
My husband and I BOTh work 40 hours a week, plus I clean my office for another 2 hours a week AND, my husband delivers newspapers on the weekends. SO, with having to fit in all the household duties when the little one is sleeping and trying to spend as much time with them as possible, time gets away from you with TRYING to cook for lunches. Something to work, YES. But something that is NOT easy. :ohwell:0 -
Other than the "should/should not eat back exercise calories," the advice in this thread has been pretty good. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories. However, you must be honest with the level of activity and duration, and you should consider your weight in calculating your exercise, since that will impact the number of calories burned. Usually good advice is to be conservative when calculating calories burned and liberal when estimating calories consumed.
I have a Polar heart rate monitor that I wear during all exercise- it takes into account my age, weight, etc and it is timed. That should be pretty accurate with the calories burned, right?
I have a Polar and I LOVE IT! Yes, its accurate!0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
Because it is a HABIT for us to leave school/work at noon and meet up with his friends for playdates at Chick Fil A, etc.
HABITS are a hard thing to break but neccessary sometimes!~0 -
I'm looking at your food diary, but I notice you are not recording your water intake. How much water do you drink each day? Drinking at least 8 (8 oz) glasses of water each day really does help with the weight loss.0
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Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
One problem is making the time to get the food together while getting the baby's food together. Also, having a 2-yr old PERIOD is a lot of time and wanting to make sure you spend time with him/her AND also making time for yourself AND making time for the fmialy, etc. TIME, in general is the problem. The healthiest way to Bring Your Lunch is to make/cook something instead of having a pre-packaged meal. And, to do that, you have to pre-cook. Sometimes, the time to do that just isnt there.
My husband and I BOTh work 40 hours a week, plus I clean my office for another 2 hours a week AND, my husband delivers newspapers on the weekends. SO, with having to fit in all the household duties when the little one is sleeping and trying to spend as much time with them as possible, time gets away from you with TRYING to cook for lunches. Something to work, YES. But something that is NOT easy. :ohwell:
I work TWO jobs AND I am a SINGLE mom and I STILL find time! NO EXCUSES!!!!!!0 -
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
One problem is making the time to get the food together while getting the baby's food together. Also, having a 2-yr old PERIOD is a lot of time and wanting to make sure you spend time with him/her AND also making time for yourself AND making time for the fmialy, etc. TIME, in general is the problem. The healthiest way to Bring Your Lunch is to make/cook something instead of having a pre-packaged meal. And, to do that, you have to pre-cook. Sometimes, the time to do that just isnt there.
My husband and I BOTh work 40 hours a week, plus I clean my office for another 2 hours a week AND, my husband delivers newspapers on the weekends. SO, with having to fit in all the household duties when the little one is sleeping and trying to spend as much time with them as possible, time gets away from you with TRYING to cook for lunches. Something to work, YES. But something that is NOT easy. :ohwell:
Don't COOK for lunch! What is wrong is cold sandwhiches on wheat?0 -
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Believe it or not, this is "cooking at home a lot" for me! haha We've cut back a lot on how often we eat dinner out. Lunch is still an issue because I have a 2 year old in pre-school and I work while he's in school. I will try to cook more on the weekends- that's a great idea!
Unfortunately, we don't have a Chipotle- I wish! haha I guess I was just falling for the advertising- I thought that a grilled chicken sandwich at Chick Fil A was a healthy option and that the fresco tacos at Taco Bell were too!
Thanks for the advice!
[/quote]
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
[/quote]
Because it is a HABIT for us to leave school/work at noon and meet up with his friends for playdates at Chick Fil A, etc.
[/quote]
HABITS are a hard thing to break but neccessary sometimes!~
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EXACTLY!! HABITS, that is the big thing. Something we all need to work on and something that isnt always easy to do. I am there now.0 -
I'm looking at your food diary, but I notice you are not recording your water intake. How much water do you drink each day? Drinking at least 8 (8 oz) glasses of water each day really does help with the weight loss.
I drink my nalgene bottle twice (64 oz?), I just can't remember to track everything so I don't track water. It's all I drink other than my morning coffee/milk since I gave up Diet Coke.0 -
No offense but WHY is it a problem that you work while your two year is in school and thats why lunch is a problem for you? BRING YOUR LUNCH! First off, its healthier as you know what you are eating and two, its CHEAPER!
One problem is making the time to get the food together while getting the baby's food together. Also, having a 2-yr old PERIOD is a lot of time and wanting to make sure you spend time with him/her AND also making time for yourself AND making time for the fmialy, etc. TIME, in general is the problem. The healthiest way to Bring Your Lunch is to make/cook something instead of having a pre-packaged meal. And, to do that, you have to pre-cook. Sometimes, the time to do that just isnt there.
My husband and I BOTh work 40 hours a week, plus I clean my office for another 2 hours a week AND, my husband delivers newspapers on the weekends. SO, with having to fit in all the household duties when the little one is sleeping and trying to spend as much time with them as possible, time gets away from you with TRYING to cook for lunches. Something to work, YES. But something that is NOT easy. :ohwell:
I work TWO jobs AND I am a SINGLE mom and I STILL find time! NO EXCUSES!!!!!!
Its all about habits. Like I said, something we need to work on but it isnt easy to break some habits. And sometimes Eating habits are life-long habits.
And, each persons' life is different and different circumstances we cant judge another persons "time" with ours. I am jsut saying that is MY schedule and finding time is HARD for ME, along with breaking habits!0 -
Try cleaning up what you eat. You eat out a TON, and at places that are notorious for high-calorie, low nutritional value, and high saturated fat foods.
Make a goal to start cooking at home if you can (even if it's a big cooking spree on Sunday and leftovers the rest of the week). If you *really* can't do that, or you need time to adjust and can't just switch cold turkey, start picking different restaurants. Instead of Taco Bell, go to Chipotle (where you can actually see them cooking the whole cuts of steak or chicken or pork). Instead of Chick-Fil-A or Arby's, go to Subway. Things like that.
It looks like you do great on the weekends, but your weeks may seem too busy for cooking, so I'd try the cook on Sunday thing and do leftovers for the weekday meals.
Also, as others have said, add in some strength training. Cardio generally only works while you're doing it, but strength training not only has the "afterburn" effect (ie - you don't burn quite as much while actively training, but you continue to burn calories for many hours after, as your body repairs), but adding muscle helps keep your metabolism up, meaning you burn more calories while doing any activity (even sitting), than your less-muscled self.
Finally, don't just look at the scale, and make sure you don't get hung up on the number (especially if you start strength training). Keep track of it so you get a trend, but don't worry about the individual numbers. Get a tailor's measuring tape and take measurements. Look at how your clothes are fitting differently. What I like to do is get a pair of pants that are snug to tight and use them as my "goal/NSV" pants (I tend to wear loose clothing, so this helps me see changes when the scale isn't moving).
Absolutely this. Eating out is killer. Caused me to gain 20 lbs in about 3-4 months. Start cooking at home!0 -
You really need to clean up your diet. I'm on maintenance and I don't eat as badly as you do on most days. I'm thinking you need to really sit down and look at your patterns. Fast food is really a no-no. A lot of people eat it and lose weight but you don't seem to be one of them. Go cold turkey for 1 month and see if it makes a difference.0
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no more on your fast food - it's really deterring your plans
sodium is a killer and fat!0 -
Go cold turkey for 1 month and see if it makes a difference.0
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Your sodium is off the charts. Eating way too much processed food. Remember, anything in a fast food restaurant was prepared and freeze-dried 3 months earlier. Also, you can never be sure the food is being prepared exactly to the specs that the caloric index tells you. They might be adding butter, salt, mayonnaise... If you're not making it, don't count on the calories to be accurate.
Stop eating out, you'll save so much money and see a huge difference in your weight loss.0 -
I just looked at a few days, but you eat a lot of fatty, fried foods. Chick-Fil-A has some healthier options- like the Chargrilled Sandwich- and you can have the fruit or a side salad. Just leave out the fries and instead of Ranch dressing, use a dressing that more like a vinaigrette! It will save you a lot of calories!
Here is something to think about- this is just my experience, but I think it could ring true for most people. I did MFP last summer to get ready for a beach trip. I thought as long as I just ate smaller portions of what I was eating (which could be anything from fried foods to pizza) and did a lot of cardio that I would be beach ready! I was wrong. I lost a few lbs, but looked flabby.
This year I'm doing it a bit differently- cleaning up what I eat (although by definition I do not eat "clean"), and doing some high intensity interval training that involves some weights. I weigh a few lbs more than I did last year, but I think my body looks so much more lean. I guess those few extra lbs I'm carrying around this year is muscle instead of all fat!0 -
Arby's? Chick-Fil-A??? Taco Bell????
Sorry to be blunt, but not sure how you're planning to get healthy (forget about weight loss) by eating at these types of fast food restaurants, which specialize in low quality, processed food mass produced with the absolute worst ingredients. The salt content itself is probably through the roof, regardless of what they admit on the wrappers.
Start making your own food in the evenings and taking it to work if you don't have much time (how long can it take you to pan fry some chicken in olive oil, with lettuce on the side?). Or find healthier alternatives when you eat out. Go to the local grocery store and get a cooked chicken breast and some veggies, or a Caesar salad with grilled chicken. Or a local deli with healthy soups (but watch the bread)???
But stop the fast food. Jeez...
--Prahasaurus0
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