Can't lose weight and trying hard

[doutri2]

I had Zumba class Thursday, Hula Hooping class Friday, rode my bike on Saturday, climbed stairs for 30 minutes on Sunday, counted calories all week and still can't lose weight.  

I'm so frustrated.  

[Heybales]

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@Liz_J wrote:
What is your daily step count. Everyone needs 10000 steps. Not all high intensity but mix it up. I used to think a 30 minute walk with dogs was enough but it's not.

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And there-in lies the problem with walking as exercise long term. Especially with dogs.

Probably a max speed you'll be able to go.

But as you lose weight, you burn less calories.

And your cardiovascular system actually needs to do less now moving less weight around, so you actually lose fitness if that's your own thing.

And unless wearing a weighted vest or doing all inclines is part of the walking routine, speed pretty much maxes out and that happens.

Not sure why everyone needs 10K steps - everyone can usually benefit from exercise - more would benefit from lifting though, which would give you NO step counts but better fitness for long-term.

[alowellfan]

I don't really care about all that. It's not some crazy fad that would have me doing something foolish. I eat healthy workout and stay fat so it's worth trying something new. If it doesn't work so what. The plan made some sense to me. If it works great. I'm not the first person to buy a diet book not knowing if it will work or not.

[Liz_J]

My dogs get walked in morning and rest of steps is with me. 10000 is a minimum. Better to aim for 15000. Of course not all walking, race walking is better and a jog better than that. The more I move the less my waist measurement. I also do a circuit class on Saturday so that's instead of the morning walk. I walk to shops in between other walks. When shopping I walk one end to the other and take stairs not lift.

[Heybales]

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@alowellfan wrote:
I don't really care about all that. It's not some crazy fad that would have me doing something foolish. I eat healthy workout and stay fat so it's worth trying something new. If it doesn't work so what. The plan made some sense to me. If it works great. I'm not the first person to buy a diet book not knowing if it will work or not.

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Very true.

And in this case, it's not even his idea or plan.

Eating more increases the amount of energy spent processing the food. Of course, you still get more calories out of it than what you burn processing it. So net effect is still eating more.

But it's likely about taking a reasonable deficit rather than extreme one - which is always smart.

Most diets - even the ones he's promoted - start at bare bottom level, which might work if you are in lab research study and have been tested for everything and under Dr supervision, ect.

Most benefit from what Fitbit is trying to do, start from the top down. Eat less than you burn, not eat at some low level way below what you burn.

Sadly Fitbit like any other site doesn't even give recommendation as to what would be reasonable deficit given amount to lose.

[elegantspirit]

There recently was an article regarding pushing yourself to achieve all the steps.  The body needs time to recover in order to rev up the metabolism engine.  Doing the same thing day in and day out does not give the body the rest it needs to regroup, reorganize the cells and burn fat.  It is not necessry to kill yourself with exericse every single day.  You should vary the type of exercise even with the walking, i.e., hills, slow walk, burst of speed also know at the HIT (high intensity training for about 2 mins) then back to slowing down.  If there were a magic pill for everyone, we would all be taking it but eveyrone's body is differnent and yes hormones has alot to do with it so it can take more effort.  The effort however, does not have to be every single day other than quality of food and the kind of caloires you are taking in.  When I carb deprive myself I can feel it in my body.  I try to allow some carbs once a week not in excess and give my system a kick in the butt.  It works.  Still trying to gently allow the release of what no longer is necessary or needed!  

[doutri2]

Since having the Fitbit, I have occassionally have an under 10,000 step
day. However, since May of this year, I've gained another 3 lbs that are
sticking. Since summer has started, I have done some type of activity
almost everyday since I am home with my kids- swimming, biking, long walks,
hula hooping (intensely).

The answer must be in my kitchen. In order to not spend so much time on
the computer filling in MFP food diary (It takes me at least 10 minutes to
type in my salad lunches), I don't log my food very often. But, my guess
is that it is there.

I should also probaby do more weights rather than just all cardio.


Lori Smerz
*Get Your Hoop On!*

[alowellfan]

Have you tried the app for fitbit on your phone? It only takes seconds for me to log meals.

[KJScarp]

Lose It is a great app for food logging as well, and if you have the premium version it will sync with Fitbit.  Lose It stores your previous meals, so it's just a one click of a meal to get it to repeat.  There's also a recipe feature, so if you make the salad the same way every time then all you need to do is create the recipe and then select that recipe each time you eat that salad.  Another feature that Lose It has over MFP is that is is not user-based defined - the developers create the database.  Whenever I try to look something up on MFP, I always get multiple versions of the same foods, with all different nutritional values because there is no oversight of the database and anyone can put in any nutritional information that they want.

[elegantspirit]

Paleo eating program is really good.  anything that converts to carbs even veggies need to be counted as we all know what carbs do.  Gluten free is good and I personally do not eat grains only a tiny bit of brown rice once in awhile.

[alowellfan]

KJScaarp I am so great full for you telling me about loose it. I loaded it and love it!

[KJScarp]

My pleasure!  I've been a member there since 2010 and I have learned so much about nutrition over there.  I'm a paleo/primal eater myself, and while Lose It is primarily a calorie-in, calorie out (CICO) method of tracking food, there are some low carb and paleo folks over there.

Lose It's web-based program www.loseit.com, has some great forums, and also a community section that has groups and challenges.  So, if you are paleo, or vegetarian, or diabetic or whatever, there is generally a group that focuses on your specific needs that you can join for support and information.

[teach1996]

Spot on response!!

[farmassist]

I also found that when I started to work out that the first 4 weeks I would gain.  But then as if magic the weight started to come off.  Not in big numbers but 1 or 2 pounds as week.  And before you know it you lost 8 - 10 per month.  I have been on many diets some that I ate so little and only lost about 10 - 15 pounds a month.  But I was not eat healthy.  Now I watch what I eat and try to have at least 3 or the 4 food groups, mostly protein and I have been using my fitbit to help me be more active.  I am doing great over 91 pounds in a year.  Before it would be 15 gain every year.  So I figure that I would take the weight loss.   I feel great.  I have weeks I only lose 1 pound and others 3 sometimes gain a little but I know that perhaps the week was more about eating and so now I do not beat myself up.  Perhaps you are exerc ising to much and that my sound silly but your body does need to repair itself.  I was told that exercising changes your muscles and they need to repair themselves.  Instead of exercising hard always mix it up and exercise one day and perhaps the next take it easier, don't stop exercising just do something else.  Perhaps Zumba one day and walk the next.  My doctor said if you just walk 30 mins. a day then as you feel good about the day before then walk faster the next but still the same 30 mins.  He said just keep going faster in the same time.  So I started out for 30 to see how far I could go then as I began feeling better I would walk further but in the same time.  I am amazed how it worked I went from sitting for years to walking for miles in months.  I feel great.

Now this is my own opinion and this worked for me.  I could tell you every diet I have been on but didn't keep to it, not that they didn't work but I could not maintain, but now eating healthy and exercise has been the only thing helping me get my life back.   Don't be drinking your calories eat them, Good vegs that fill you and plenty of protein helps me.  **ahem** Luck and keep trying.

[doutri2]

Thank you for your response. I really enjoyed reading it. And, you're
dead on right. I say I am a "healthy" eater b/c I eat fruits and/or
vegetables at every meal. However, eating dessert at almost every meal is
not "BALANCE", it's too much. I need to save dessert/ sweets for once per
day. And, if I could skip a day every once in awhile, I would be better
for that too.


Lori Smerz
*Get Your Hoop On!*

[Liz_J]

Going for daily walks is not pushing yourself. If you ran 10 km a day you would need a rest day in between for weights training or some other. I continuously ran 8 km / day for years with no problems and on Saturdays I ran 10.

[Liz_J]

Some people are obsessed with getting on the scales. I never weigh myself. I have items I wear and have worn many years. If they fit. Good. If they're tight. I feel uncomfortable. Diets. They make you think of food. Eat when hungry. And forget dessert. Too much sugar carbs. Etc. etc. eat what's natural.

[SunsetRunner]

Start looking into more of a high saturated fat (50-70%), moderate protein (20-30%), low-carb (10-20%) macronutrient protocol. Eat to satiation without counting calories on these general guidelines and you should begin to autoregulate back to a normal weight even if you don't exercise at all.

If you do exercise, do resistance training only (no running, cycling, traditional cardio) and I recommend Doug McGuff's "Body By Science" protocol for beginners so as not to overexercise, stay uninjured, and build more muscle mass (this will cause your resting metabolic rate to burn more energy when doing nothing...even when in bed sleeping).

Also, when you eat your carbs, eat them at night. Check out the "Carb Nite Solution" by John Keifer to get some info on why that's the right way to go for weight loss.

All of this info is opposite from what "conventional-wisdom" and the government endorsed nutritional and exercise protocols say, but look into it, give it a try for a couple of weeks and see if it helps as it sounds like your motivation and self-determination is not the problem. Most people go with the "exercise more and eat less food" strategy and time and time again it just makes people gain body fat and lose muscle mass.

Best of Luck!

[doutri2]

Hi,

Thanks for adding in a twist what is conventional wisdom to losing weight.
Since I do have a slight background in Exercise Science, Health and
Nutrition, not sure I can be so "radical" ;0) to my formal training long,
long ago.

Thanks for posting.

Lori Smerz
*Get Your Hoop On!*

[SunsetRunner]

And unfortunately, that's the problem with conventional nutritional education. People aren't even willing to consider looking into the benefits of a high fat diet because lipophobia (fear of saturated fats) has been institutionalized since Ancel Keys' fudged nutritional paradigm was institutionalized by post-1950s medicine and the US government. Saturated fat really is the most important macro-nutrient for humans and has totally been purged from the modern diet. Rampant obesity, diabetes and heart disease are the result. Please don't take my word for it, check the literature and if you dare, give it a go yourself for a couple of weeks. After a few days, your body should up-regulate fat metabolism and mobilize body fat for fuel all because you started to eat more fat. Fat does not cause insulin to be released in the body and thus does not suffer from its constant anabolic effects when eating carbs every meal. I've found eating my carbs at night is best as that is when fat and muscle cell insulin sensitivity is lowest. The resulting blood sugar drop after insulin spiking will help you get to sleep quicker.

Saturated Fat for thought at least 🙂

[doutri2]

Well, this might fix two of my problems- inability to fall asleep within a
reasonable time and my metabolism problem.

So, when you mean carbs, can you give me some suggestions? I'm guessing
cookies and milk would not be the carbs you are referring to.


Lori Smerz
*Get Your Hoop On!*