Stuck

[Thy]

I am 5 ft 3, 169 lbs., 27 years old, turning 28 in November, and really frustrated. I am amazed at how I let myself get this obese, although everyone says I look normal. I don't like how my body looks at 169 lbs., I have a treadmill at home that I rarely use for more than two times a week, I drink roughly 3 liters of water a day, I do not eat carbs but oatmeal, I am drinking whey protein first thing on an empty stomach and immediately after a workout, I'm considering walking on an incline of level 5 up to 5 miles per day, etc. For the past 6 months, I've been battling with trying to find ways to stop eating as much as I have been and try to lose some damn weight. Gosh, I am still the same weight as I was 6 months ago. I'm so mad, man.

 

[KaraCooks]

Hi and welcome.

First of all, at 169lbs and 5'3" you are hardly obese. Overweight, yes, but not obese. And the closer you are to a normal weight the more difficult it is to lose fat. It's a sad but true state.

Honestly based on what you write, it sounds to me like you're mixing up a bunch of concepts, but don't really have a solid idea of how to properly lose weight. The bottom line is that drinking whey protein and limiting carbs isn't going to make a bit of difference if you're eating too many calories. Only when you reduce your intake to a proper number of HEALTHY calories will you lose weight on a steady and sustainable rate.

I'd suggest that you read the sticky posts in the various forums - especially ones dealing with nutrition and exercise. At 169 lbs, you should probably start out with around 1600-1800 calories a day of healthy foods (complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats). Do some weight lifting or body resistance exercises 2x-3x a week and supplement that with cardio another 2x-3x per week and you'll see the weight - and more importantly the FAT - start to come off.

 

[Thy]

I barely eat over 1200 calories a day. I do push ups, jumping jacks, crunches, leg raises, 5% inclined walks on the treadmill for 15 to 45 minutes some days a week, drink whey protein before and after the workout, and I am eating snack sized raisins, can of tuna, snack sized pretzels, a bowl of oatmeal, 3 liters of water, and a can of soup. I am going to avoid getting on the scale every day and limit it to just once a month. Idk.

 

[KaraCooks]

Barely eating over 1200 calories a day, given the amount of exercise you're putting in might be the problem. Also your nutrition looks very poor, if that's really what you're eating.

Raisins and pretzels are something you can't afford if you're limiting yourself to 1200 calories. When you're eating that little, you have ot make every calorie count. What you're doing is carb loading and expecting a shot of protein powder and some tuna to fix any discrepancies. I don't see ANY veggies on that list and no healthy fats at all. And whey protein is not a magic bullet for losing weight. Why are you drinking whey?

Seriously .. you said you wanted help. Then learn about nutrition. Read the stickies. Learn about proper exercise.

If you think just weighing once a month will fix things and want to throw up your hands and say "Idk" and leave it at that ... well, I guess all I can say is good luck to you.