advice needed from gym folk - i am stuck please help!

rosiep80
rosiep80 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,
I really need some advice please from all of you lovely fitness people. I am 5ft 3, I am 138lbs and I am 32. I've been through a bit of a horrid time and lost around a stone and a half in about 6 weeks. The weight loss actually made me feel a bit better, so I started to concentrate on really dieting and I joined a gym again for the first time in 14 months (I broke my leg in two places and smashed my PCL to bits skydiving for charity in April last year so couldn't go near a gym til now). I have had eating issues before, and I get very OCD about my calorie intake. But it actually helps me get through the horrible situation i am in to be able to control what I am eating if that makes sense?
Anyway - my situation is this now - I am eating between 400-750 calories a day and hitting the gym 5 days a week. My food intake mainly consists of 30g dry Special K for breakfast, chicken and salad wrap for lunch and fruit and then chicken/spinach/salad for tea with more fruit. I drink tons of water, I don't drink alcohol at all and I am being very strict with my diet. Gym-wise I am warming up for 5 mins on a bike, and then go through a series of weight machines and free weights, light weights, high reps, and no rest to keep the momentum going. I also mix in a further 25 minutes cardio (treadmill interval training and hand bike) in between - the whole circuit takes around 2 hours and I really work my bum off.
So what am I doing wrong? I haven't lost any weight for over 2 weeks whatsoever! I've lost a tiny amount in cm's off my thighs, stomach and waist but it's negligible really. PLEASE can anyone give me any advice on what I can do to lose? Even 1lb a week would be something! Please don't have a go at me for not eating enough - it's about my head, I can't eat more than I am eating, I've really been through a lot lately and I just can't. I just want to try and lose a bit more weight so that I feel better about myself, if I can feel a bit better about myself then everything seems a bit more managable!
Any advice would be hugely gratefully received xxx

Replies

  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
    you're starving yourself. Of course the body is in defense.

    Use the tools to tell you how much to eat, and then use your calories with healthy choices; lean meat, fruits, veggies
  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
    Sorry for telling you to eat, but if you told a doctor how many calories you're eating he may commit you to teach you to eat more.
    Sounds nearly bulimic or anorexic.

    Since it's about your "head" I think therapy is in order.
  • Miss_E_
    Miss_E_ Posts: 45
    Honestly, you need to eat more calories, i know its not what you want to hear and i dont know what your going through right now but i think that is why you aren't losing much weight, plus as you dont really have much to lose you will lose weight slower than someone who has lots to lose, maybe instead of being a bit OCD about your food your could try and up your calories and give your self targets to hit at the gym and try to become stronger and healthier by concentrating on your workouts, basically by turning your obsession from food to the gym instead, plus exercise makes you feel great so that should help, but like i said, dont know what your going through but you do need more calories to fuel your body, good luck and i hope you make the right decision whats best for you. x
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
    First of all, at 5'3" and 138, you're in the top end of a healthy weight range (24.4 BMI).

    Since you should be pretty close to your goal weight, you should set your MFP for about a half a pound per week.

    Next, if you just started working out, you're holding on to more water. There was an excellent article someone posted about this a couple weeks ago.

    Next, there's no way you're eating within MFP guidelines or between BMR and TDEE. Why do you think 400-750 calories is a good range for you? You're starving at the same time you're increasing your activity. Your body is confused.

    There have been a ton of posts on here about "Eat more to weigh less" and BMR and TDEE. Just search for it, and you'll get lots of info.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    My advice is that you need to *double* your calories. You're not a big person, but 400-700 calories isn't enough for a person that's working out with the volume and frequency that you're currently doing. Seriously, double what you're doing. Even if you're not hungry, a tall glass of chocolate milk after your workout will give you 400 calories that will start the muscle repair you need to make it to the next workout. Even a tall glass of juice, while not giving any protein, will give you an extra 200-250 calories over what you're getting now. I actually want to advise you to eat more food, but at least the milk or juice will take away the "I swear I'm not hungry excuse".

    Your daily workouts are probably burning 400-700 calories. If that's all you eat for the day what is supposed to fuel your heart beating, or your lungs breathing, or just sitting up in a chair to read this post? I'm almost double your size, but I eat quadruple what you eat every day, and I lose 1.5 to 2 pounds every single week. My diary is open and if you care to look. I record everything, including the 1000 cal of cookies that I ate at a party last night!

    You asked for our help, and 98% of us are going to give the same advice. Eat more. A LOT more. There's no sense is asking for the communities advice and then refusing to do what the overwhelming response is.
  • AshlyRamos
    AshlyRamos Posts: 76 Member
    It's simple. Eat!
  • FlittyGetsFit
    FlittyGetsFit Posts: 94
    You need to eat more. I hear that you have control issues, so why not try upping your intake by 100 calories per day, per week, until you're at or around 1300-1550 cals a day, and stay there for a while. It might take a while for you to lose weight again, but it might work in the long run.
  • rosiep80
    rosiep80 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks very much for all of your posts and advice, I am very grateful!

    Miss E - thank you for being so compassionate - you are absolutely right about swapping the obsession with food with an obsession at the gym! It really does help my mental health. I've just escaped a very abusive relationship hence the weight loss and high stress levels. Thanks again xx

    Thanks to Ishtar13 too - i will most certainly seek out those posts! I am the sort of person who likes to educate myself as much as possible and this is all brand new to me, so thanks, much appreciated xx

    Thank you very very much to Davidpulliam - that is some excellent advice thank you! I will definitely have a peek at your diary if it's ok! Thats a great idea about the juice or milk too - you are absolutely right, it would stop my ''oh no this is food, i can't eat it'' thing! I know I am not very healthy 'head-wise' in terms of my approach to my diet so I think i need to educate myself a whole lot more. Thanks again xx

    Thanks to everyone else for taking the time to reply, I am really grateful and i can see that as everyone is saying the same, that it must be right, I mustn't be eating enough - I will definitely be looking at ways to improve that, thanks xxx

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