How long did it take you to figure out what your body could handle, in terms of calories, etc, in order for you to start losing weight? I'm considering switching things up a bit. I've been calorie counting, but for some reason I can't lose anything. I've gone up and down with the amount of Calories, trying to figure out where I need to be, and nothing seems to be working. I'm so not good at figuring out nutrition, and what's in what and I have found it really a battle. I just can't get motivated to get going. It also is hard because my hubby is VERY unsupportive of all this, my self confidence to do this is really shakey. I found out that in the past week I've gained another 3 Lb's....

Are you keeping track of your cals online or somewhere? If you are having a hard time knowing how many calories this and that is, you can find about anything at calorieking.com or buy a pocket calorie book. I find that no matter how low or high my cals go i cant lose unless i do cardio. Lots and lots of cardio. Right now i keep it around 1400 cals a day and do 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week and it is working. I throw in some other exercise throughout the week but i MAKE SURE to get my 30 mintes of cardio everyday and it sent me from losing 1 pound a week to 3.

That sucks that your dh is not very supportive. Dont let it mess with your motivation though. You can do it, you might just need to seek out resources to make it happen. It took me about 8 weeks to find my sweet spot for weight loss and even that is not predictable all the time.

What kind of foods are you eating? I find that it's not always caloric intake that affects my weight loss.

When I was losing the bulk of my weight, I learned that I could maintain my weight eating breads/pastas (even whole wheat), but it was exceptionally difficult to lose. I was eating a lot of low fat dairy, fruits and veggies, with the occaisional lentils. Sugar is also a sensitive thing with me (as it is with many). Simple carbs, even on a very limited basis affect me a great deal. So, perhaps tweak your diet a bit? Try some different foods? Adjust your protein/carb/fat ratio?

Also, are you working out more? I know when I work out more I want to eat a lot more so I have to watch that as well.

The working out thing I have trouble with. I am not good with videos, because I always feel that I'm not doing it right, because It feels like I'm doing nothing, and I'm uncoordinated. I don't have the money to go to the gym, so I've been walking about 40 minutes a day, and that's about it... not too exciting.

I've been watching my calories, and doing the whole writing them down, etc... and I've cut back on my carbs, cause Pasta is a big trigger food... I love it! I don't eat alot of bread...and usually crash to procressed foods, simply because I can't aford to buy seperate meals for me and my hubby... he's a patheticly picky eater. I have trouble figuring out what carb/fat ratio, etc. and all that... it's a whole other language that I don't understand. I check out sites online, and each one seems to tell me something different. I've been doing alot of reading, it's just overwhelming!!!

Some people believe that a calorie is a calorie, but I disagree. 100 calories of fresh, whole fruites or vegetables are so much better for you than 100 calories of processed food. There are so many healthy things to eat versus crappy things to eat. Perhaps taking a look at what you are eating rather than just the calories that you are eating is a good place to start.

Mickey! Hang in there!

It took me about two months before I figured out a good routine/plan for me as well. I try to keep it around 1500 calories a day. The cardio and weights are really important for me. When I'm a good girl and work out 6 days a week (usually for about an hour) the weight comes off. Its great that you are taking the inititive for walking!! Have you seen those flexible bands you can use for "weights?" Its basically a long piece of plastic that you can use at home to do resistance training and build up some muscle. Building up a little muscle is important cause muscles burn more calories!! So that means even when you arent exercising you are burning more calories then before gaining the muscle.
The band I have is called a dynaband. It was given to me so I'm not sure where to get one but I would check wal-mart or target probably for the cheapest deals

I still haven't figured it out - not sure if I ever will.

Firstly, ask around for other people's suggestions of workout videos. Getting one via recommendation is much better than wasting your money on a workout you decide you hate from the start. Perhaps rent it from the library or video store instead of buying.

Secondly, keep it up with your walks, but push yourself out of your comfort zone or you will get bored and plateau. Try doing interval jogging. Get a heart rate monitor (or just learn how to do it manually) so you can see if you are taking it too easy.

As for food, change it up too. Experiment with flavours and different foods. Drink water - lots of it. Monitor what you are eating too - set yourself a calorie limit for the day (or even the week) and stick to it.

I personally am following Jillian Michaels (Winning by Losing) nutrition guidelines. A calorie deficit of 7000 calories per week (2lbs) and eating a balanced diet of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. I prefer it as I am not limited from any food group - but am learning to portion it out. Get her book out from the library and follow her suggestions based on your measurements and a questionnaire. It might work for you.

Your body is an amazing tool and it is smart. Keep it guessing so it can't predict what you are going to do next and you will see weight loss.

Mickey I have found that I can't lose weight unless I exercise and it has to include weights. I usually exercise every morning during the week for 30 minutes and usually some outdoor gardening on the weekends. I monitor my calories and try to keep them under 1500. My diet includes 2 fruit, at least 5 veggies, 2 dairy, protein at every meal and snack, and 2-3 serving of bread. I try to make at least 2 of my bread servings whole wheat. I have also found by adding some protein to everymeal and snack helps. I usually have 5 almonds with a piece of fruit for my mornig and afternoon snack.

amanda - it really comes down to an exact math...burning more calories than your body needs to maintain equals losing weight...you can do this through diet or exercise...if you don't mind how tall are you, how much do you weigh and how active are you on any given day....I will look up your maintanence calorie need and we can start to take a look at what to do from there...I am 5'2 so you and I are in the same boat here...I don't mind helping a sista out!

Thanks Steph!

I'm 5'0" tall, and weigh 120 Lb's right now, and small framed. I was never good at Math in school, and this sure as heck proves it now! LOL!

I'm not really active, besides the regular 60 minute walk 5 times a week, and house chores, that's about all the activity I get. Not alot. I don't have access to a gym, cause I can't afford it. I do climb alot of stairs daily, as I live on the 3rd floor apartment and climb them, sometimes just for fun, about 8 times a day.

Ok Amanda so based on this info in order to maintain your 120 lbs you need to consume about 1981 calories per day. For you being at this weight and this amount of calories needed I would say it is probably unreasonable to thing you would lose more than 1 lb a week - this would be a healhty goal.

To lose 1 lb a week you need to shave 3500 calories off each week which amount to about 500 per day. You can do this by eating less, or by exercising to burn off calories. I recommend doing both...much easier.

I would start journaling your food and keeping track of your calories each day. Aim for about 1481 BUT if you go over don't sweat it just make it up throughout the rest of the week...At this point in your weight loss life even just losing a half a pound regularly would be great wouldn't it?

So lets talk about your 500 calorie deficit and how exactly to calculate it. Say you ate 1600 calories today...but you walked the stairs for a half an hour and went on an hour walk which burned 300 calories. Well if you need 1981 calories just to stay at 120 lbs and you ate 1600 you are already at a deficit of 381 calories...add the 300 calories you burned working out and you are at a deficit of 681 calories...well over your 500/day to stay on track.

Now while this does get tedious and water weight, and that time of the month can throw a little bit of a wrench in the works from time to time if you follow this you will lose weight.

Now this is just the math...to get nutrients your body needs while still staying under calories you are going to have to make smart food choices. Consider talking to Daisy or Lizzie about this, they are excellent for knowledge on this subject.

Do you have a fitday or nutridiary account?

what bmr calculator are y'all using?
2000 calories is very high for someone only 5 feet tall. I am 5 ft 3 and 166 pounds, and my bmr is only 1550. Mine should be higher than amanda's because I'm taller and heavier.
I've checked 3 different sites, and at 5 feet tall 120 pounds I only get about 1350 calories for bmr. Of course, a 60 minute walk can raise your bmr to about 1500. Unless you are extremely active all day, or lift weights, etc, it isn't going to be much higher than this.
calorie deficit=calories eaten-calories burned
if you get a negative number at all, you have created a calorie deficit. 3500 negative calories (however long it takes to add up) will equal 1 pound lost, no matter what you weight or how tall you are. That's why the more weight you have to lose, the faster it comes off, and the closer you get to your normal wieght, the longer it takes to lose a pound.
http://www.internetfitness.com/calculators/bmr.htm is a good site to check, because it has an option at the bottom to put in an activity/exercise level to see how much it will raise your bmr and increase a calorie deficit.
If you are only using fitday to estimate calories, please understand that fitday is a good site to use for tracking calories, but it has been known to be HORRIBLY off on the metabolic rates. Check the calorie counters forum for the thousands of complaints from people who used their metabolic rate on fitday and GAINED weight.
If you use a search engine and search for bmr calculators, there are hundreds to use that are free, and MUCH more accurate.

Stephie,

I don't have a fitday account yet, or a nutridiary or whatever... I'll have to sign up for that next! Wow, there is alot to know! Thanks for all the help, and suggestions... I really appreciate it!

rebel eagle - I am 5'2 and about 126 and my BMR is 2032...I have lost consistently just cutting back to around 1532...Exercising at all puts you into the moderate activity category...light activity is like sitting on your couch all day or working in an office...your right though this will need some fine tuning, it may be truer for some people, and others may need to tweak it.

Either way it gives me a place to start, and I appreciate it! I'll tweak it from there... Yay!!!

I feel like I can finally start taking steps to better myself!