Any suggestions? A month in and NOTHING is happening.

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).

^^This^^

Also, I would agree to stay away from the scale. Start measuring yourself weekly and logging it like Waist, Thighs, arms etc... I have found that the scale can get you down. I have had months where it did not move at all. But by measuring I found I was losing 1/2 inch to an 1 inch a week. The scale did not tell me that.

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!

100% agree.

I see that others have commented on the same observation as I am making, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. All calories are NOT created equally. You need to educate yourself on macronutrients and how they are used by your body to fuel your day. First off, you are not eating enough calories in a day to allow for your body to even do its basic functions. Secondly, you are not eating frequently enough. When you eat the garbage that you are putting into your body three times a day, all your body does is stores it as fat because there is nothing of value in the food you are consuming. CLEAN IT UP or quit expecting your body to change. That is brutal honesty, but sometimes we need it. I'm speaking from experience. ;-) Try eating every three hours with 30 grams of CLEAN AND LEAN protein with every meal. Chicken, turkey, egg whites, etc. Aim for 200-300 calories per meal. You will never be hungry if you eat clean. You will have a lot of food every three hours that will keep you full, yet encourage your body to release fat stores. When your body doesn't get constant refueling throughout the day so it can perform even the involuntary functions like digestion, breathing, and pumping blood, it will horde everything it can and store it as fat to use at a later time because it thinks it is in starvation mode. You CAN do this, but you need to make real changes if you want results. I believe in you!!

I wont get into a debate here, but you absolutely do not need to eat every 3 hours, this is bro science.
However the other points you have made, is sound advice

To be fair, there is some foundation in it in that a lot of people wait until they're famished to eat, then binge on all sorts of stuff (or just way too much), especially when we've been taught to eat three meals a day, and then cutting down on the meal size to try to lose weight. Eating every couple of hours helps regulate and avoid that for a lot of people.

I agree with the more frequent meals advice, I eat 5x a day and it works great for me, plus over 100g protein a day keeps me from rarely feeling super hungry and overeating.

I looked at your food diary, and I agree: you eat way too much carbs and not enough protein. Cut down on the carbs, especially sugars and grains. Change your macro settings. Also add some healthy fats: olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, fish, black olives. You're going to see the difference.

Nachos and tacos for lunch? What kind of nutritious meal is that?

And yes, you need to eat your exercise calories back. Your body is just not receiving enough fuel, so it is holding on to all that fat.

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 differently

Why would you eat an EXTRA 1500 calories? Are you burning 1500 calories a day just in exercise? You shouldn't be counting calories that you may burn while on your feet at work, that should be figured into whatever activity level you chose (ie sedentary, lightly active, active).

I could honestly care less what people do. If it's working for you great, but not eating them back is not going to work for everyone and I cannot stand when new people come here and ask if they should eat them and people tell them flat out no. As with this OP, she was confused as she has heard conflicting answers. It is not an opinion, it is a fact, if you eat 3500 calories less in one week (500 each day) you will lose one pound. So if you don't eat your calories back from exercise you will either lose more than 1 pound a week or you will actually stay the same because you're not eating enough and your metabolism has slowed too much. For people who only aim for 1200 calories/day, it is essential that they eat back their E calories or they will not get enough fuel.

Much of this isn't directed to you, I don't know if you tell people to not eat them or not, but it really bugs me when people say "No you're not supposed to eat them, if you eat them you will gain weight or maintain your current weight" because that is just flat out untrue and not good info to give to newbies.

I am a bit confused with ur comments - Why would you eat an EXTRA 1500 calories? Are you burning 1500 calories a day just in exercise? You shouldn't be counting calories that you may burn while on your feet at work, that should be figured into whatever activity level you chose (ie sedentary, lightly active, active). Y shouldn't i be counting the calories i burn while on my feet at work???????? I am a cleaner and most days i clean for 6 hours, i always count this towards my exercise calories then i also do an hour to 2 hours of exercise on top of this so if u combine them both i can burn up to 2000 calories a day. There is no way im gonna eat 1200 calories plus up to 2000 exercise calories a day, i would get fat again. Im gonna stick with what works for me.

I am not one of these people who say yes or no to eating back exercise calories because like i said before i believe it is up to the indivdual what works for them. I do not usually post on these types of posts but decided to suggest some help to this newbie. Maybe i wont post again as I find people can be really harsh with their comments

I see that others have commented on the same observation as I am making, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. All calories are NOT created equally. You need to educate yourself on macronutrients and how they are used by your body to fuel your day. First off, you are not eating enough calories in a day to allow for your body to even do its basic functions. Secondly, you are not eating frequently enough. When you eat the garbage that you are putting into your body three times a day, all your body does is stores it as fat because there is nothing of value in the food you are consuming. CLEAN IT UP or quit expecting your body to change. That is brutal honesty, but sometimes we need it. I'm speaking from experience. ;-) Try eating every three hours with 30 grams of CLEAN AND LEAN protein with every meal. Chicken, turkey, egg whites, etc. Aim for 200-300 calories per meal. You will never be hungry if you eat clean. You will have a lot of food every three hours that will keep you full, yet encourage your body to release fat stores. When your body doesn't get constant refueling throughout the day so it can perform even the involuntary functions like digestion, breathing, and pumping blood, it will horde everything it can and store it as fat to use at a later time because it thinks it is in starvation mode. You CAN do this, but you need to make real changes if you want results. I believe in you!!

I wont get into a debate here, but you absolutely do not need to eat every 3 hours, this is bro science.
However the other points you have made, is sound advice

To be fair, there is some foundation in it in that a lot of people wait until they're famished to eat, then binge on all sorts of stuff (or just way too much), especially when we've been taught to eat three meals a day, and then cutting down on the meal size to try to lose weight. Eating every couple of hours helps regulate and avoid that for a lot of people.

If it works for you then great, personally i disagree.
Here is an interesting little read.
Original article with study s here: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

Myth: Eat smaller meals more often for hunger control.


Truth

Given the importance of finding the most favorable meal pattern for hunger and appetite control, there's a surprising scarcity of studies on the topic. The most widely cited study is one where obese males were fed 33% of their daily calorie requirement ("pre-load") in either one single meal or five meals before being allowed to eat ad libitum five hours later (meaning as much as they desired).

A: One single meal was consumed. 5 hours later they were free to eat as much as they desired, "buffet"-style.

B: Same setup as above. However, the single meal was now split into five smaller meals, which were consumed every hour leading up to the ad libitum meal.

The results showed that subjects undergoing "A" ate 27% more calories when given the ad libitum meal. The same setup was used by the same researchers on lean males and showed similar results. However, upon closer scrutiny it's clear how little real world application those results have. The macrocomposition of the pre-load was 70% carbs, 15% fat and 15% protein; given as pasta, ice cream and orange juice. The situation created was highly artificial and abnormal. Who sits around nibbling on pasta and ice cream, sipping orange juice, every hour leading up to a regular meal?

The latest research, performed under conditions that more closely resemble a real-world scenario, shows the opposite result. In this study, three high-protein meals lead to greater fullness and appetite control when compared to six high-protein meals. You can read my summary of the study here: http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/three-meals-superior-for-appetite.html

There's no doubt that meal frequency is highly individual. However, absolute statements claiming smaller meals are superior for hunger and appetite control are untrue and are based on studies using methods that greatly differed from real-world meal patterns. Current research with a normal meal pattern and protein intakes that are closer to what can be seen in a typical non-retarded diet, suggests superior appetite control when eating fewer and larger meals.


Origin

This myth might have originated from the limited data from studies on meal frequencies and appetite control. It's also likely that it's another case of mistaking correlation for causation from studies and meal frequencies and higher body weights; if people who eat more often weigh less, then it must mean they can control their hunger better, etc.

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!

If this is your first time ever starting an exercise regime...it's going to take more than a month...and I mean that in a positive tone of voice .....don't worry, your body is going to reject your new lifestyle, and yes you will gain a little, but once the ball is rolling, you are going to see changes. Not only in your body, but your mood and LIFE as well..Good luck to you, do not give up....keep drinking the water...if you cheat, still record it on your diary...

Add sodium to your diary list. You may find you are very high in sodium due to eating out a lot. That will hurt your weight loss. Good luck to you!

This. I could not figure out what was wrong with me, I thought I was eating healthy food choices, and I'm not eating out AT ALL (except for my subway oven grilled chicken wednesday this week). I had turkey and chicken lunch meat sandwiches, chicken tenders, no breading, baked... etc. I started logging my sodium because I gained an extra 50 lbs on my "healthy eating choices". I was taking in over 5000 mg of sodium a day.... Now I pay attention to that. I read every label before I buy--- its even in frozen vegetables. For instance I picked up some frozen veggies today... the small frozen block of chopped spinach had 210 mg of sodium per serving. The giant frozen bag had 20 mg of sodium per serving. The difference? I have no idea. But my chicken tenders I love so much? frozen, no skin, no bones, no breading, baked at home with nothing but tin foil... 640 mg of sodium for a 3 oz piece? Manufacturer injecting 3% salt solution to plump the product because it sells by weight. My doctor said read everything, and flush flush flush flush flush the retained sodium out by drinking a ton of water a day. Even Propel--- my favorite drink - 5 calories - 80 mg of sodium. Now instead of using the pkt for 16 oz bottle of water, I put the same 1 pkt in a 64 ounce bottle, just enough to get some flavor, and spread out my sodium intake. The tiny can of tuna has around 200 mg of sodium... doc says anything you buy canned, buy fresh if you can afford... the packing is where the sodium comes from... if you cant afford fresh - cuz its crazy expensive -- rinse everything you eat from a can. It helps, doesnt get rid of it all, but it helps, I can literally taste the difference. Just my personal experience, it was dreadful, and I was miserable, but only a week of paying attention to JUST my sodium I lost 12 lbs... granted its retained water... but it helps motivate me for more

First of all, you are very brave for starting this journey AND for asking for advice from people who may understand what would work better. Like you said, this is a lifestyle change and a work of learning in progress. I can relate to your comment that it you eat perfectly, you won't be able to stick to it. Those of us with families and jobs have developed habits that work with our time schedules over the course of years. Changing your eating does not happen overnight for everyone. There will still be Holidays and special events. BBQ's and Birthday parties. The trick is to make the changes you can and keep adding more. Drinking more water and cutting back on sodium can be your first step this week. When you've found a way to fit that into your schedule, then you can focus on sugar or carbs.

Obviously, some people here have not found it difficult to go cold turkey, lift a ton of weights, and calculate the hell out of everything and they can come off as very rude. But, some of them still have some good info to share and you just have to weed through the judgement and arrogance.

I can totally understand why you were choosing to eat out and even in that you thought you were choosing healthier fare. Now that you see the healthier options aren't really helping, it may be in your mind now when you stop by Taco Bell. No one lives your everyday life and they don't see what great strides you made, so just keep learning and sharing what's worked for you with the rest of us and we will get there. Great job!!!

bump

I've looked at a few days of your food and you don't eat much different than I.
I have PCOS and so I have to look at my foods per week--I weigh in once a week and I go back and look at what I did and didn't do.
Once I do that then I can pinpoint it.

Like when I don't do herbalife for example, I lose less. IDK why because I tend not to believe in diet things but I see a trend.

Maybe there's something you do off and on which makes a difference for you.

Start a blog or write down some place where you won't lose and will remember where you put it, I put mine on the blog here and I write down what I did differently to cause my weight change. I do it at the end of the week and I crunch numbers and so on. I'm not sure if you can see it but feel free to take a gander if you can. I haven't done for this past week yet, but I'll get to it in a few days. I am super busy this weekend.

How is your diet? Are you eating out alot? eating junk....weighing & measuring everything? I have heard 70% of weightloss is diet.
Are you taking any medicines?...some make it harder to lose weight.

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.

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!

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'm a single mom (the father is NOT around, so I don't get "time off"), I work, and I go to school full time, even now that it's summer. I still find time to cook healthy meals.

There are no excuses when you need to lose weight. You either take the necessary steps, or you don't.

You are my hero!

Thank you so much! Amazingly enough, this whole process has made me realize how strong I really am!