Weight Loss Confusion

[mrsg2706]

Hey Guys

I'm doing the steps and have brought my calorie count down but I'm still putting on weight....

[Dominique]

By "doing the steps", I assume you mean you’re reaching the default goal of 10,000 daily steps. It’s a good start, especially if you were sedentary before, but steps alone won’t cause weight loss. What causes weight loss is a caloric deficit. You may have increased your energy expenditure (calories burned), but your intake (calories eaten) must still be less than your expenditure for weight loss to occur. Do you track your intake? Often people talk about eating "clean": like with steps, clean eating in itself doesn’t cause weight loss. You can eat clean and still be in a caloric surplus. I would say more information about what you are doing and what (and how much) you are eating is needed in order to make suggestions.

[mrsg2706]

I have decreased the amount of food that I eat. I have cut out sugar - I eat protein and vegetables/fruit during the day and have a normal evening meal with my husband. I drink a lot of water (3000ml p/d) - I haven't cut out alcohol though. I eat between 1630 and 1800 calories a day

[HZlauer]

How long have you been doing this and not seen a change? I understand you have been tracking your steps, but are they more than what you did before you started tracking them? Are they active steps or less active steps? I mean there are times I make my step count but my calorie burn is low, while other days I hit my calorie burn goal long before I meet my step goal. Active steps and inactive steps are different.

There are lots of reasons people don't lose weight. If it is over a long period they are probably eating as much as they are expending. If it is short term, it could be that a person is new to a particular exercise and their body is retaining water until it gets a handle on the new changes. It could be medication related. More information would be helpful. 

Also, tracking food can be tricky. Using cups or counting out chips, instead of weighing servings is a sure way to underestimate calories. What is meant by a medium potato, or apple? Weight is definitive with no gray area. Even if it isn't something you want to do. It is a good idea to do it for a few items to see what a serving really looks like. Count out 15 chips and weigh it, you might find you are eating 30% more calories than you thought.

Also, how much weight are you hoping to lose? A person that has a small amount to lose has different obstacles from someone looking for a significant loss.

[SunsetRunner]

Is the alcohol included in your 1630-1800 calories? Ideally, you need to cut out alcohol. Alcohol only slows your metablosim down. The body is more focused on trying to eliminate the alcohol rather than burning calories when you drink. I don't know how often you drink, but that could be a big part as to why you aren't losing weight. Unless you're talking like 1 or 2 beers a week then you are simply consuming too many calories.

[UVcat]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Is the alcohol included in your 1630-1800 calories? Ideally, you need to cut out alcohol. Alcohol only slows your metablosim down. The body is more focused on trying to eliminate the alcohol rather than burning calories when you drink. I don't know how often you drink, but that could be a big part as to why you aren't losing weight. Unless you're talking like 1 or 2 beers a week then you are simply consuming too many calories.

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Well, to offer a different perspective, I continued drinking my usual 1-2 drinks a day while I was losing weight. I logged the calories and I lost weight at the rate I expected. The alcohol calories didn't seem to be any different from any of the other calories I consumed. 

So, yes, you definitely need to log the calories in whatever you're eating and drinking, but I disagree with the idea that "ideally, you need to cut out alcohol" or that drinking "slows down your metabolism". Yes, your body does put off using the calories from other sources while it clears the alcohol, but I don't know of any evidence that that makes your rate of calorie use any different.

Of course, if you're drinking to excess and/or getting so many calories from alcohol that you're not getting adequate nutrition, then, yes, the drinking would be a problem.

OP: I think the questions above as to how accurately you're tracking, how long you've been actively trying to lose weight and how much you have to lose are spot-on.

Hope that helps.

-UVc

[AndyDandyPandy]

Low carb, sugar, sodium with a caloric deficit and some intense exercise. Do it everyday starting now. You're welcome. Sounds so simple right? 

The real battle is with your mind. Once you are in control of what you eat and how you live at all time then you will succeed. Your mind will tell you to go for the pizza rather than the grilled chicken. Your mind will tell you you are too tired to exercise, it is too late, I'll do it tomorrow. I'll start eating healthy again on Monday. Then you're going to start doubting yourself. Then you will ask yourself is it worth it? I feel miserable? I can't do anything with my loved ones anymore. You will be sad, angry, grumpy. You will start to have negative thoughts like I'll never succeed. This is all in your mind. Only yourself can make you fail. There will be many obstacles that will roughen up your journey but once you overcome them then that is when you'll find true success.  Have fun. This will be one heck of a ride with succession rate very very low. You will fail many time before you ever succeed I can tell you that right now. Real talk. 

Even those who lost weight successfully regain their weight back and thats 90% of them. That is why if you're going to do something make sure it stays that way. For example I stopped eating white rice daily and I drastically lowered my carb and sugar intake compared to when I was still 100+lb heavier. As long as I don't start going back to what I was eating I'll never regain my weight and I don't plan to go there ever again. What makes people gain weight again or fail is because they can't fix or maintain their healthy diet. 

[mrsg2706]

Ta

I just needed a good talking to 🙂