For over 2 years i've excised 4-5 times a week doing both weights and cardio. I've kept an extremely strict diet limiting my sugar, calorie and fat intake closely. I don't eat red meat, I limit my dairy and eat only whole grain carbs. I'm not extremely overweight but for my height, age and eating habits, I still have extra fat that won't get shed. I don't have excessive amount to lose. I have about 10-15 pounds that i've been trying to lose and no matter what i've done over the last couple years, i've seen no results. I've tried all of the diet fads out there, i've followed Dr.Oz's weight tips religiously. I've seen nutritionists which have been little to no help. I've recently tried going gluten free over the last 2 months and still after everything… no results.
I'm starting to think I might have some type of condition. I've been tested for thyroid and it came back normal
If anyone has a similar problem or might be able to help me in anyway I would truly appreciate it. The last year has been extremely discouraging and finding a solution would mean the world to me.
I don't count specific calories but I am cautious of my calorie intake. My meals are portioned, for example; 1/2 cup of oats or 1/2 cup of quinoa would be a serving size for me. I eat somewhere between 1200-1500 calories a day.
Weight loss is primarily about how many calories you're eating. Do you have any idea about the amount of calories you consume?
I don't count specific calories but I am cautious of my calorie intake. My meals are portioned, for example; 1/2 cup of oats or 1/2 cup of quinoa would be a serving size for me. I eat somewhere between 1200-1500 calories a day.
If you're already portioning out your meals, I'd recommend going the extra step and tracking the calories just to see where you're at.
Sometimes though, eating a restricted diet for an extended period of time will slow down your metabolism making it more difficult for you to lose weight, without having to restrict your intake to an unhealthy level.
Have you tried a moderate protein low carb diet? Dukkans (sp?), Atkins, Ideal Protein?
Calorie counting has never worked for me...even though it would seem to be logical that reducing calories = weight loss, my personal experience is that it is a little moe complicated than that.
The premise of calorie counting is not that everyone will lose on any specific calorie level. If you don't lose on 1200 - 1500, you may have to eat 1000 calories to lose.
Also, if you're not specifically counting calories, you're probably underestimating your calorie intake. Studies have found that most people who aren't counting and even most people who are counting underestimate if they're not using a food scale.
You could easily be eating 1500 - 1800 calories if you're not weighing portions.
Many people find they lose weight more easily on lower carb eating, and there's often a calorie advantage, meaning many people find they lose significantly more weight on a low carb diet than on the same calories of high carb. For me, there's about a 300 calorie advantage. An 1800 calorie low carb diet works as well as a 1500 calorie high carb diet. I'm also less hungry on lower carb.
Your body needs to hold onto less water on low-carb, so to compare low-carb weight loss to higher carb, you shouldn't count the first week or two. And if you switch back to a higher carb diet, you will probably see a gain on the scale during the first week or so as your body needs the extra water to process the carbs. This isn't fat gain.
You also may be at the healthiest weight for your body. If you are exercising regularly and are only 10 - 15 lbs "overweight" according to the standard chart doctors use, you may not have fat to lose. If you have more muscle, your weight may be in the overweight range, when you're really not.
Also, are you actually overweight by those charts, or are you in the healthy range and just want to lose more. Would losing 15 lbs put you in an underweight category?
The charts generally are not accurate for very active people, because the charts are based on averages, and the average person is pretty sedentary. If you're quite fit, you will weigh more on the scale, but will appear thinner than someone of the same weight who has less muscle and more fat.
I had a bad stomach bug this past week and was told to do the BRAT diet for a few days until I stopped "spurting" to put it colorfully. BRAT is bananas, rice, applesauce and toast - way way more carbs than I normally eat, and seriously lacking in protein-heavy foods I favor. I know I gained back a couple of pounds after having to eat like this, even though I ate no more calories than I do with my regular eating plan. I am skipping weigh-in this week so I can give my body some time to re-adjust back to normal now that I am eating meat and veggies again. So, yeah, calories alone is not the entire equation.
And, honestly, I kind of think Dr. Oz is a bit of a fraud or charlatan now that he has his own show. Some of the supplements he has endorsed seem closer to snake oil than beneficial compounds to me, but YMMV.
Just for what it is worth, have you looked into your BMR and RMR? Those are your base needed calories to maintain. Subtract 500 to 1000 to get your calories needed to lose. You may be eating too much...or not enough.
Can't lose weight, tried EVERYTHING! Help!
