So frustrated...advice?

AllyCat30

AllyCat30

New member
I am new here so I hope I am posting this in the right place. I am currently in the process of trying to lose 25-30 lbs. I have already lost 30 lbs since last February. I am happy about that but I really need to keep going and the scale hasn't moved in a long time. I think that I eat a very healthy diet and I exercise regularly. I hear all these stories about women losing 30lbs in 5 months and it took me a year and now nothing. I have even cut back on my glass of red wine habit. I follow a low-carb diet so I am not totally sure how many calories I consume. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. What am I doing wrong? :confused:

Foods I eat:
Chicken, Fish, ground Turkey, red meat a few times a month
Lots of veggies- broccoli and green beans are my favorite
Whole grains- whole grain pasta, low-carb tortillas (addicted to them)
Low fat yogurt, cheeses (feta, goat, cottage, cheddar)
Nuts- Almonds, walnuts, cashews
NO sugar, starches (I haven't eaten rice, potatoes, or white flour pasta in over 9 months)

Exercise: usually 30 minutes 3x a week, last 2 weeks- EVERY day!
Treadmill
Bodylastics (my new phase)
horse back riding
walking dogs
 
AllyCat30 said:
I follow a low-carb diet so I am not totally sure how many calories I consume.
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The biggest problem is right there. 1) You need carbs to lose fat, just time them right. 2) This is the most important. In order to lose fat you have to know what you are taking in, why? Because to lose fat you have to be in a caloric deficit. Meaning you have to burn up more in a day then you take in, however in a smart and healthy amount. I really think you will benefit from reading my thread over at the other forum.

The Fat Loss Troubleshooting Guide World Fitness.com - workout - exercise - fitness - forum - articles
 
try counting your calories for a few days. Since you weigh less now, you need fewer calories for your BMR. If you are eating the same amount of calories as you were before, you might not be in a deficit. The nuts and cheese calories can add up quickly!
 
Okay, I am going to count calories over the next few days to really see. The reason I have stuck with the low-carb diet (the one I am on is similar to South Beach) is because it is the only way I have ever lost any considerable weight. A few years ago I lost 40 lbs without any exercise- just by not eating simple carbs and refined sugar. I gained a lot of it back in grad school when I started eating off the diet. The summer before I my wedding, I went back to calorie counting. I worked out 4-5x a week and ate 1200 calories a day for 4 months and I lost nothing, nadda. I felt so fat at my wedding (every brides nightmare) and I cannot even look at the pictures. So, I went back to low-carb dieting but it is much harder this time. You can see my frustration.

Also, what is the best way to know how many calories you need? I have consulted several websites and 'calorie calculators' and they all say I need WAY more calories than I think I could ever eat in a day!
 
AmyWamy said:
What kind of horse back riding do you do?
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I am into endurance riding. I have an Arabian. This season I am going to attempt my first 50 mile ride. Last year I did all 25 and 30s. That is part of my motivation for losing weight. I want to be in a lower weight class.

:)
 
AllyCat30 said:
Okay, I am going to count calories over the next few days to really see. The reason I have stuck with the low-carb diet (the one I am on is similar to South Beach) is because it is the only way I have ever lost any considerable weight. A few years ago I lost 40 lbs without any exercise- just by not eating simple carbs and refined sugar. I gained a lot of it back in grad school when I started eating off the diet. The summer before I my wedding, I went back to calorie counting. I worked out 4-5x a week and ate 1200 calories a day for 4 months and I lost nothing, nadda. I felt so fat at my wedding (every brides nightmare) and I cannot even look at the pictures. So, I went back to low-carb dieting but it is much harder this time. You can see my frustration.

Also, what is the best way to know how many calories you need? I have consulted several websites and 'calorie calculators' and they all say I need WAY more calories than I think I could ever eat in a day!
Click to expand...


2 things.

1. Carbs don't make you fat. Calories do. If you eat too much energy (cals) your body has no choice but to add tissue (storage). The reason you lost weight before by cutting out carbs is simple. You ate less due to the avoidance of a major food group. Most people who try and diminish or completely eliminate the consumption of one of the major macronutrients tend to eat less by doing so. Eating less = less calories in = weight loss. So again, the posts above are right. Work on cals.

2. All the online calculators and equations you find are estimates. They don't take into account your past eating patterns, which inevitably play a large role in where you current metabolism stands. This said, these calculators are close to accurate for the average person. For simplicity's sake, and since we are dealing with estimates anyhow, I like to just use 14-16 calories per pound of bodyweight for maintenance. Remember, the bigger you are, the more food you need to consume to maintain that mass.
 
Steve said:
2 things.

1. Carbs don't make you fat. Calories do. If you eat too much energy (cals) your body has no choice but to add tissue (storage). The reason you lost weight before by cutting out carbs is simple. You ate less due to the avoidance of a major food group. Most people who try and diminish or completely eliminate the consumption of one of the major macronutrients tend to eat less by doing so. Eating less = less calories in = weight loss. So again, the posts above are right. Work on cals.

2. All the online calculators and equations you find are estimates. They don't take into account your past eating patterns, which inevitably play a large role in where you current metabolism stands. This said, these calculators are close to accurate for the average person. For simplicity's sake, and since we are dealing with estimates anyhow, I like to just use 14-16 calories per pound of bodyweight for maintenance. Remember, the bigger you are, the more food you need to consume to maintain that mass.
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Thanks so much for your advice. This is all so confusing to me. It seems so simple calories in-calories out but I am so frustrated I want to scream! I agree with the change in eating when I cut out carbs. I did find myself less hungry and eating less (probably because I was eating lots of protein and fiber). I am still confused about how many calories I should consume. I am 161 lbs, 5 3" and I exercise almost everyday. I used to just hop on the treadmill but that apparently screws with your metabolism and aids in making you fatter (yikes! I thought I was doing good!:confused: ) so now I am doing circuit training with resistance bands (35 min workout). 161x14 is 2254. There is NO way I could eat that in one day- I would weight 4 tons. Maybe if I had a steak for dinner everynight. I am currently eating about 13-1500 a day. Do you think this is too little? Also, since I started the circuit training I have gained 3 lbs. Is this normal? How is this even possible?

Thanks again for your advice. I am trying so hard and I feel like I am not showing any results. I feel like for all the hours I have been sweating and all the delicious foods I have given up (Birthday, Christmas, New Years, Super Bowl parties- I ate VEGGIES! :mad: ) I should have met my goal by now.

:(
 
Patience is a virtue. This is by no means an easy or fast process. So keep your wits about ya!

It really is as simple as calories in vs. calories out. 2000 calories seems like a lot, but you probably wouldn't gain weight on it. The required amount of calories is very relevant to your size.

If you aren't losing on 1300 (I think that is what you said), I need to ask, how consistent are you. Meaning, are you taking in that set amount of calories day in and day out, weekdays and weekends?

If so, how much have you lost, sorry if you answered this above.

It may be time to give your body a break, and up the cals for a bit.

Oh yea, and the treadmill does not make you fat. Hear me when I say this: an energy surplus is the only thing that makes you fat. How could walking on a treadmill add tissue to your body in the absence of calories?
 
Steve said:
Patience is a virtue. This is by no means an easy or fast process. So keep your wits about ya!

It really is as simple as calories in vs. calories out. 2000 calories seems like a lot, but you probably wouldn't gain weight on it. The required amount of calories is very relevant to your size.

If you aren't losing on 1300 (I think that is what you said), I need to ask, how consistent are you. Meaning, are you taking in that set amount of calories day in and day out, weekdays and weekends?

If so, how much have you lost, sorry if you answered this above.

It may be time to give your body a break, and up the cals for a bit.

Oh yea, and the treadmill does not make you fat. Hear me when I say this: an energy surplus is the only thing that makes you fat. How could walking on a treadmill add tissue to your body in the absence of calories?
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I hear you about patience! I feel like dieting and exercise has consumed my life for over a year. I started to seriously try to lose weight February 2006. So far I have lost about 30 lbs. My initial goal was to have lost 60 by May but I don't think that is going to happen. Another summer feeling fat and gross. Sigh.

I can't honestly say how many calories I have been consuming because I was on a diet similar to South Beach and I concentrated on the kinds of foods I was eating and their carb content. I am not a huge eater and I would probably guess that I was consuming 15-1700 calories. I have been exercising all this time. I can say for sure that I have not consumed sugar, starches, and fast food at all. That much I am sure of. I actually have a ridiculous amount of willpower. I am not the dieter who is strict during the week and goes crazy on the weekend. I don't have 'crazy' days. My friends know that if we have to go out dinner it has to be at a restaurant that has food I can 'eat'.

So, I guess now I am back at the drawing board. Back to counting calories. Is there a possibility that there could be something wrong with my thyroid? My body seems to just hang on the weight and refuses to let go. Every ounce is a battle! Is it possible to lose 25 lbs by June?

Thanks again for your advice. I have talked to so many people (doctors, friends, etc.) and no one knows what to tell me. I'm so scared that I am destined to be fat.
 
Many people have hormonal problems. Well, not many, but it happens. If it is a concern, I would get it checked out.

And of course calorie counting is important. By telling me that you aren't sure exactly how many cals you have been consuming, that in itself, would be my bet as to where the problem lies.

But you never know.
 
So, I guess now I am back at the drawing board. Back to counting calories. Is there a possibility that there could be something wrong with my thyroid? M
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I'm no expert, but a thyroid test is a pretty simple blood test that can be done - the current disease du jour seems to be PCOS - which you can also b e tested for..

keep track of how many calories you are consuming is a good place to go... it's really helpful to know what you are eating - and be accurate -weigh and measure -portions ar often deceiving- i went thru that for a long time -where i would have swore i ate healthy (no fried/no fast foods/no junk food/ etc) it was just too much regular food...
 
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