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Is anybody else struggling?

tammym1001tammym1001 member
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in Getting in Shape
I work out 4 or 5 days a week (depending on my schedule). I vary my work outs and work out with a partner so I don't get stuck. I eat fairly healthy. I will admit I have a snack now and then, but I don't eat fast food at all, no white starches, and no red meat. I eat 3 or 4 servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day (I know it should be more, but it's tough). I eat lean protein and I don't use any extras like condiments or butter on anything. Even with all of this I can't lose a single pound. I keep my calories under 1,600 a day. I've done less, but it makes me a pretty miserable person and I get super tired. Has anyone had to deal with this and do you have any suggestions besides what I'm already doing to possibly lose a few pounds.
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Re: Is anybody else struggling?

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    KrissyBisKrissyBis member
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    My fiancé had this problem about a year ago and it turned out that he wasn't eating enough calories during the day with the amount of exercise he was doing. Apparently if you are very active and don't have a high enough caloric intake then your body kind of freaks out (it thinks it needs to go into starvation mode) and instead of burning the calories, it will actually hold onto everything you eat (i.e., store as fat or energy reserves...or something like that). I'm definitely no nutrition expert, but sure enough, as soon as he upped his calories he began to lose weight again. I know it sounds a little scary to eat more when you're trying to lose weight, but maybe that will help?

    The other thing to do is ask your doctor, they might have some other tips or hints. :)

    Good luck! You can do it!!
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    Starlet514Starlet514 member
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    Agreed! If you are super active you might need to eat more! It is a really odd concept but it does work! And make sure you drink plenty of water! Hydration helps in so many ways!! 
    When I get stuck I also try to look at the little things - like did I have an extra cup of coffee with cream? Did I have a little piece (or two) of chocolate at work? That is why tracking what you are eating can help - MyfitnessPal is a good option - and as long as you stick to the old rule of "bite-it-write-it" it's fairly accurate! 
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    Dignity100Dignity100 member
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    I would look into consulting a dietician if you're able to.  If you don't already, start writing down what you eat/drink throughout the day and recording your workouts (I know a lot of people will also recommend to write down how you're feeling throughout the day as well).

    Are you eating the same foods and doing the same workouts for the most part?  If so, maybe try to switch it up to keep your body 'guessing'


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    tammym1001tammym1001 member
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    Thanks for the suggestions ladies. I actually went to a dietitian a few months ago. She told me I wasn't eating enough and put me on an eating plan. I followed it for 2 months (it was way more food than I was eating) and I ended up gaining several pounds so I stopped following it. She told me I needed to give it time, but honestly six months before my wedding I'm not trying to stick to an eating plan that's making me gain weight! It's just frustrating that nothing seems to be working. I was using myfitnesspal, but it tells me I should only have 1200 calories a day which isn't enough, but I get discouraged when I see how much I'm over my "goal" for the day on there. 
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    Dignity100Dignity100 member
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    With MyFitnessPal, are you also adding your exercise?  If you add exercise it gives you more calories.  If you have a FitBit - you can link MyFitnessPal and FitBit and it'll re-adjust by how much you walk.  Example:  MyFitnessPal gives me like 1350-1400 but with the FitBit it's between 1600-1700 depending on how many steps I get in.

    Also - when you workout, do you wear a heart rate monitor?  Most of the machines at the gym and their calorie burn counters are not even close to being accurate.


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    tammym1001tammym1001 member
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    edited December 2013
    I do add exercise to MyFitnessPal but it just adds the number of calories I burned to what I can have so it still has me at a base of 1200 calories which isn't enough.

    I used to wear a heart rate monitor, but it's uncomfortable so I don't wear it anymore. I have a gym at home so I don't go to the gym to work out. 

    ETA: I used a heart rate monitor that wraps around your chest so if you have a suggestion for a better one that would be awesome :)
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    peggerzzpeggerzz member
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    the closer you are to your goal weight the harder it is to lose those last few pounds.  Think of Extreme Makeover weightloss, they start with something like 100 pounds in the 90 days then the last goal is only about 25 pounds.  It's frustrating but the fewer pounds you have to lose the harder it is.
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