Weight-Loss Please help!!!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

[jjohnson311]

I'm a new member here and so I apologize if this has already been covered. I am currently 15-20 lbs. overweight. I have been told so many different things about how to lose this weight (and much of it contradicts itself) that I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

My current workout routine is basically 45 min. of cardio and 35 min. of weights 4-5 times a week. I feel like I have that down pretty well. My real concern comes with the nutritional aspect.

I have severely stalled out. I haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks and I haven't skipped a day of working out. I currently eat between 1250-1750 calories per day. I know that my workout burns about 800 calories of that. Here's where the crux is. Am I stalled out because I'm not eating enough calories? I heard one of the trainers say that on the Biggest Loser. I tried to eat a lot of calories yesterday but was only able to get 2000 calories down. It's hard to get my caloric count up when I'm eating healthy food!

On a general day this is what I eat:

Kirkland weight-loss shake before workout
Lots of water during workout
EAS Pure Protein shake after workout usually with a banana mixed in
For Lunch: Peanut Butter Honey sandwich or some type of protein with carrots or other veggie
For snack: Can of tuna fish with another type of veggie or fruit
For dinner: Usually whatever my wife makes (but definitely a smaller portion) with a crap load of veggies.
A couple of hours before bed: string cheese or cottage cheese

I'm trying to eat every couple of hours with lots of water all day. Also, I know this is kind of a lame excuse but I don't have the money to go out and buy all the expensive fresh food right now. My wife freaked when I bought my bag of protein shake mix. So, for protein I'm sticking to cans of tuna fish, mixed nuts, cottage cheese, string cheese, chicken breast here and there, etc.

So, sorry for the rant. Hopefully I've given you enough information to help me figure out how to lose this weight. I'm to the point that if I don't start seeing some results I'm not sure I can keep this workout/nutrition routine up for much longer. Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[maleficent]

to the point that if I don't start seeing some results I'm not sure I can keep this workout/nutrition routine up for much longer.

if that's how you're feeling - then you don't seem to be seeing this as a lifestyle change but more of a short term thing that you don't have to keep up forever.

This is your first post and you haven't posted anyhting that's not already covered in the stickied threads... I'd spend some time reading the stickied threads.

Weight loss, barring any medical condition, is really a matter of using more calories than you take in... How are you keeping track of calories? Are you sure your portions are correct and are accounting for everything? just because you're eating healthier doesn't mean you're eating under a specific calorie count.

In this forum - read the only nutrition guidelines you'll ever need... there's a link to a formula that will give you an APPROXIMATE number of calories you should need in a day- then get an account at and start keeping track...

 

[jjohnson311]

Thanks for the advice. I keep track of what I eat using calorieking.com It seems to do a pretty good job. I definitely am looking at this as a long term change. More so than I ever have in the past. I have been working out and eating better for 2+ months now. I'm in a routine and am proud of myself for keeping it up. I just feel so confused about my nutrition. I have read those stickies and will continue to do research.

 

[SusieB]

First of all don't forget that exercising and workouts can build muscle. So you may not be losing pounds when you weigh yourself but you can be losing fat.

Secondly, try to get as wide a variety of foods as possible so that you get all the necessary carbs, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins.

Here's some healthy tips:

1. Make time to eat.

Do you know that it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that you are full? So, always sit down to your meals and think about what you are eating. Chew your food well and put your knife and fork down between each mouthful. This gives you time to really taste your food and enjoy it.

2. Don't sit in front of the TV or computer when eating.

If you eat while watching the TV or doing something on the computer you are gearing yourself up to putting on the pounds. The reason why you can pile on pounds doing these things is because more often than not you have finished a plate of food without even realising it!

3. Eat foods that are filling.

Ideally you meal should consist of a plate of food which is a quarter of lean protein; a quarter of whole grains and a half of vegetables. By eating more vegetables you will be filling up on food that is full of fiber, low in calories and is good for you. Eating more vegetables will fill you up and stop you reaching for junk food within half an hour.

4. Eat 5 small meals during the day.

The ideal way to lose weight is to have 3 main meals and two smaller snacks spread throughout the day. Never skip breakfast, eat lunch and dinner and have two snacks a day. A snack can be an apple or a handful of almonds or walnuts. Alternatively keep a small dish of grapes or dried fruits like apricots, pineapples etc.

5. Drink plenty of water.

Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda - the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Hot water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning. Drink about eight glasses of water a day. It will help flush toxins out of the system as well as making you feel full and stay healthy.