Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 01-23-2010, 11:56 PM   #1  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default Very Hard Work but No Progress

I started my weight loss journey on January 4, 2009 with the detox phase of the fat smash diet. After 4 days I had lost 3lbs, but decided to discontinue the diet because I just wanted to count calories and exercise without being told what NOT to eat!! After four days of eating regular healty food and working out I had gained all of the 3lbs back. I'm beginning to think that I only lost water weight So, I had to start over again.

Within the past 2 weeks I have had my menstrual cycle and have been eating about 1200-1300 calories a day, working with my personal trainer 3-5 times a week, and doing 20-30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. I feel like I am gaining weight and feel bloated most of the time.

My questions are:

1. Am I eating enough?
2. When will I begin to see some progress?
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 12:16 AM   #2  
Senior Member
 
randomcards's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 434

Default

Here's my take (plenty stolen from other similar threads), it's an individual game so don't take anybody's individual advice too seriously.

1. 1200 is often considered the minimum for women. It honestly probably is too little with the amount you are working out. If you continue to work out that much (which I think is great!) you might want to go up a couple of hundred.

2. Don't focus on time horizons of <2 weeks. And you ladies with your TOM stuff probably look at month time horizons.

3. Make sure the calories you get contain nutrition! Get a lot of protein if you are going to work out a lot.

4. The scale and weight are so silly and finicky. Say I picture my weight with an "average" - whatever that means - amount of water/waste/etc in my system. I can EASILY be +/- 5 lbs just based on these factors. For all you know your original weighin you were low on those things and you've actually lost more than you think you have. At least two-three times a week I'll have a "perfect" day and my weight will be 2 lbs higher than the same time the previous day. So when you are talking about < 5lbs like you are from my perspective it's all statistical noise, you can't infer anything about loss or gain yet. Focus on what you are doing which is making good decisions all the time!

5. Most people would say that you start to retain more water when you start to workout more so factor that in.

6. To answer your 2nd question you have to be sure you have defined progress. Is it purely lbs lost? Measurements? How you feel? If you are eating good nutrition and your calorie counts are fine you will make "progress" sooner rather later.

7. Just keep in mind that good decisions lead to good results (and vice versa), but not on some arbitrary timeframe that's in your mind. We want to think "I worked out 1 hr today, bye bye .5 lbs of fat from my belly" and it just doesn't work like that.

8. Don't overthink too much and constantly tweak your plan every 2 days when you don't see results. Keep Calories In < Calories Out, eat good nutrition, keep working out, and let your body do what it's going to do.
randomcards is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 12:24 AM   #3  
Ready for Change
 
SNMomof1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 239

S/C/G: 216.6 / 208.2 / 116

Height: 5'1

Default

You'll get tons of different opinions how how many cals you should be eating... but....

1200 cals is NOT enough. You don't have to starve to lose weight. I see that you're a member of Fit Day. You can enter your height and weight there and they will tell you how many cals to eat during the day. That's just a rough estimate to start. You can go up or down from there based on what you're losing. I wasn't loosing weight for a week until I upped my cals and there are many women on the board who have had similar experiences. I'm confident that with your exercise regimen, you'll start seeing the pounds melt away at a higher cal range.

Are you drinking enough water?

Are you weighing at the same time every day wearing the same clothes (if any?)

Because you recently had your TOM, you could still be bloating from it. Give it a few days more before freaking out too much.
SNMomof1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 12:51 AM   #4  
Senior Member
 
crcossel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 279

S/C/G: 165.6/158.4/130

Height: 5'7"

Default

You are eating way to little. I would suggest listening to the free podcast by fat2fit radio. I recommend listening to episode #83 to start.
crcossel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 01:15 AM   #5  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions! I checked out fit day and it says that I should be eating over 2,000 calories/day, that sounds like way too much food for me since I don't have much of an appetite!!! I also went to freedieting.com and for Extreme Fat Loss I should be eating 1424 Calories/day. I will start Sunday with 1300-1500 calories/day. Since the New Orleans Saint's will be playing I was planning to eat a turkey burger on whole wheat, but since I should eat more calories I am going for the real beef!! It's going to be my biggest meal of the day anyway, so why not.

Thanks again guys, I am so glad I found this site :-)
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 01:33 AM   #6  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by crcossel View Post
You are eating way to little. I would suggest listening to the free podcast by fat2fit radio. I recommend listening to episode #83 to start.
Thanks Crcossel, I will listen to it later today.
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2010, 11:35 AM   #7  
Senior Member
 
cassieroll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 288

Default

Are you hungry after eating 1200 cals? Maybe try increasing a little bit.. even 100 calories. Eventually you'll find your sweet spot. Don't give up!
cassieroll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 12:24 AM   #8  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cassieroll View Post
Are you hungry after eating 1200 cals? Maybe try increasing a little bit.. even 100 calories. Eventually you'll find your sweet spot. Don't give up!
Eventhough I exercise alot and drink at least 64 oz of water a day, I am satisfied and not hungry at all. Actually, I don't have much of an appetite.

I increased my calories today and ate ihop pancakes for brunch, but I felt so bad about eating it I asked for sugar free syrup
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 12:52 AM   #9  
Artsy Fartsy Girl
 
dolphinea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Harford Co., Maryland
Posts: 78

S/C/G: 268/226/185

Height: 5'6"

Default

I'm currently doing the only thing that's ever worked for me, which is eating around 20% fewer calories that what I'd need to maintain body weight.

I don't rule out any foods, but there's no cookies, candy bars or snack cakes in the house and I don't eat the junk people bring into work on a routine basis. I would rather save my calories for stuff that makes me feel full and good.

I spent about a year exploring exactly which foods make me feel full and great, and changing the way I cook, before I ever starting counting calories. I thought maybe just eating more whole grains and fruits and vegetables would make me lose, but I've had to confront my portion sizes.

Amazingly, the giant portions I was making myself choke down weren't necessary to make me feel full.

I weigh 245 today, and I eat around 2050 calories. I've lost 23 lbs since November.

I do NOT eat the same calories every day - Christmas day I ate 3000 calories! Haven't come anywhere near that since then, but I do allow myself a couple days here and there to go up to a non-weight-loss level.

The scale goes up two pounds, goes down two pounds, goes up one pound, goes down two pounds, goes up one pound, goes down half a pound, goes down half a pound, goes up two pounds, goes down... it can seem maddeningly slow, but 23 lbs in 3 months is nothing to be frustrated over!

I do NOT exercise. Exercise on a daily basis is something I will never do. I'm 43 and I know myself. Every diet with a bunch of exercise added to it, or just exercise alone, that I've done, the day I quit exercising I gain back everything I've lost AND GO UP AT LEAST ONE DRESS SIZE. Heavy aerobic exercise messes with my metabolism and my appetite in a way I consider to be dangerous, and I'm never doing it again. I do do some yoga because it feels good but it's not any kind of exercise "program."

Good luck and be patient. It's so personal, what works, and what doesn't, but slow weight loss doing things you can do the rest of your life seems to be key.

Last edited by dolphinea; 01-25-2010 at 12:53 AM.
dolphinea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 01:51 AM   #10  
Senior Member
 
giselley's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 538

Height: 6-1.5

Default

2000 calories are 4 meals of 500 cals each-- that is not a lot. A vending machine package of chips is 240 calories, usually.
giselley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 12:37 PM   #11  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default

Update: I started my increased calorie intake yesterday. The New Orleans Saints were playing so I went all out!! I ate I-HOP for brunch: pancakes with sugar free syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, hash browns, and of course water. I also had wings and fries for dinner. Those were my only two meals of the day since they were so big. I weighed myself this morning and my weight did not really change. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!!!!!!! I have to admit, I do feel kinda bad eating all of that food, but I can't take it back.

It's aweful that we have been trained to put labels on food when EVERYTHING IS OKAY IN MODERATION.

I am still working on what works well for me and reprograming my thinking to believe that I can eat anything I want with DISCIPLINE.

Thanks for all of your comments!
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 01:49 PM   #12  
It's My Time
Thread Starter
 
beautiful9800's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 41

S/C/G: 179.8/178.2/130

Height: 5'1

Default

I'm so excited I finally got my ticker!!
beautiful9800 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2010, 02:06 PM   #13  
Calorie counter
 
Eliana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,679

Height: 5'4.5"

Default

Congrats on the ticker. I like it.

Second, you're short. (I can say that...I'm short too) I would listen to your personal trainer when discussing how many calories you should be eating. 1200 may not be too few for someone your height. And IF you do decide to increase your calories, please try to do so with an apple or a handful of nuts. Hot wings and fries and anything at I-hop is not the way to increase your calories, in my opinion. I have just recently adjusted my calories from 1200-1500 and am doing so by eating just 100 calories more at breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's an apple for breakfast, a small 100 calorie yogurt for lunch and an extra spoonful of a carb at dinner.

But I reiterate...what does your trainer say?
Eliana is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Related Topics
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Glory's very long weight loss journey Glory87 Goal! 188 01-19-2014 01:57 PM
I'm trying hard!! Noellem87 300+ Club 132 06-13-2010 03:40 PM
its getting very hard! alisanchez18 Metabolic Research Center 72 09-24-2009 07:31 AM
47 And No Idea!!! Is that really me 40-Somethings 525 08-15-2007 08:44 PM
April Exercise - No I'm not kidding!! LindaT Sonoma Diet and the Mediterranean Diet 116 05-01-2006 11:01 AM


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:46 PM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.