Having Trouble Getting It Off

[TDyer06]

Ok about a year ago I started taking birth control and about two months later after being on it i gained about 20 lbs. So I started working out at the gym every night for the past year where i would run about three miles every night. Until i had to cancle my memebership because I needed money for college tuition. And I recently got a new job as a bagger at a grocery store where i also go out side an collect shopping karts for 1-2hours everynight for probably the past four months as my workout. And im just not seeing any of this weight come off. I dont really eat that much either. In one day i'll eat..
breakfast-banana
lunch-a sandwich like tuna
dinner- a small bowl of what ever my mom makes

see i really dont eat that much i just eat until im content not till i feel like im going to burst plus im constantly drinking water throughout the day. I probably drink up to 100 ounces of water a day.

what am i doing wrong?

 

[dsade]

You are eating too little, most likely with a crappy macro breakdown. A banana is NOT an acceptable breakfast, your sandwich should be whole grain bread with lowfat mayo...and god know what your mom is making.

You need to figure out how much you SHOULD be eating, then reduce calories enough to lose a pound a week.

You should also be eating a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. You need more vegetables as well.

Are you taking a multivitamin to supplement your horrible diet?

 

[TDyer06]

You are eating too little, most likely with a crappy macro breakdown. A banana is NOT an acceptable breakfast, your sandwich should be whole grain bread with lowfat mayo...and god know what your mom is making.

You need to figure out how much you SHOULD be eating, then reduce calories enough to lose a pound a week.

You should also be eating a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. You need more vegetables as well.

Are you taking a multivitamin to supplement your horrible diet?

I dont really consider what im eating now a diet. like i said i eat until im content i dont push it. I do take these "complete" vitamins.

 

[dsade]

I dont really consider what im eating now a diet. like i said i eat until im content i dont push it. I do take these "complete" vitamins.

What would you consider it then? You are starving yourself. Our bodies are very good at sensing starvation, and making sure we don't burn ANY extra calories.

 

[dlew308]

+1 w/ dsade

Diet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group.
Why does a very low calorie intake slow down weight loss?

Dieting and Metabolism
Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds.

 

[thesinner]

And I recently got a new job as a bagger at a grocery store where i also go out side an collect shopping karts for 1-2hours everynight for probably the past four months as my workout. And im just not seeing any of this weight come off. I dont really eat that much either.

Don't count your daily life as a workout. I'm not saying you don't burn calories pushing carts, but how many Calories do you actually think you're burning? There's a "good enough" attitude that develops when you substitute daily life for your training endeavors.

IMO you're problem is that you want to lose weight, but don't want to take steps above and beyond your daily life to accomplish this.

A few ideas:
1.Set aside 30 minutes - 1 hour each day, for exercise. It's a reasonable amount. Instead of watching re-runs of Sienfeld or the Simpsons, go for a jog.

2.Eat smaller portioned meals 6x per day. No more of this breakfast/ lunch/ dinner crap. Brown-bag equally portioned meals, and eat one every 2-4 hours. I'm guessing that dinner is your biggest meal of the day, when if anything it should be the smallest as you're not going to use many of those calories.

3. Tell your mom that you are going on a diet. 4 weeks out of the year, I'm back at home with the parents, and they don't always eat the same quality of food as me. I'm sure if you tell your mom that you want to watch what your eating so you can down them pounds, she'll try to accomodate. Sometimes eating a better quality of food will help you lose weight, even with more calories.

4. Make your tuna salad with mustard Spicy Brown mustard is the sh**, and at an average of 15 Calories per TBS vs. the 100+ Calories per TBS of regular mayo. IMO it tastes better, and provides less empty calories.

 

[canadianrookie]

...4. Make your tuna salad with mustard Spicy Brown mustard is the sh**, and at an average of 15 Calories per TBS vs. the 100+ Calories per TBS of regular mayo. IMO it tastes better, and provides less empty calories.

Where would one find this 'Spicy Brown mustard' ? I love my tuna sangwich but need to cut the mayo.

 

[thesinner]

Where would one find this 'Spicy Brown mustard' ? I love my tuna sangwich but need to cut the mayo.

Umm, the grocery store?

My personal favorite is Woeber's Hot'n'Spicy.

 

[Quinc]

Ok about a year ago I started taking birth control and about two months later after being on it i gained about 20 lbs. So I started working out at the gym every night for the past year where i would run about three miles every night. Until i had to cancle my memebership because I needed money for college tuition. And I recently got a new job as a bagger at a grocery store where i also go out side an collect shopping karts for 1-2hours everynight for probably the past four months as my workout. And im just not seeing any of this weight come off. I dont really eat that much either. In one day i'll eat..
breakfast-banana
lunch-a sandwich like tuna
dinner- a small bowl of what ever my mom makes

see i really dont eat that much i just eat until im content not till i feel like im going to burst plus im constantly drinking water throughout the day. I probably drink up to 100 ounces of water a day.

what am i doing wrong?

your starving yourself fat. you should get milos sarcevs dvd secrets of the pros and watch the nutrition part. you will see what you need to do and what you are doing wrong. He goes into detail about woman and not eating enough.

 

[TDyer06]

Thanks everyone. I dont know.. my doctor told me that if i want to lose weight I should eat less and of course exercise. I normally get a pretty good work out collecting carts at work. I normally push at least 10 at a time. And after about an hour my shirt is pretty much drenched in sweat.

 

[BodyWizard]

Don't count your daily life as a workout. I'm not saying you don't burn calories pushing carts, but how many Calories do you actually think you're burning? There's a "good enough" attitude that develops when you substitute daily life for your training endeavors.

True dat :thumbsup:

 

[BodyWizard]

I normally get a pretty good work out collecting carts at work. I normally push at least 10 at a time. And after about an hour my shirt is pretty much drenched in sweat.

Nobody's saying real life can't count, just that it's easy to cheat and/or be sloppy about it. Here's some stuff to consider:

- your work might be getting your BP & temp up, but is it making use of all your muscles in an appropriate fashion (form, specificity, etc), or predominantly over- (or mis-) using certain muscle groups?

- whatever the real-life activity, are you observing proper form and adapting where necessary to stay focused on the exercise aspect of the activity? (basic concepts of form like keeping a flat back & shoulders squared & abs tight, keeping movement balanced around your center-of-gravity, & avoiding overwork/injury/misuse through observation and forethought make a huge difference in trying to extract the fitness-value of everyday activities)

- are you eating as if you are training? You already told us no, but just to point out that your body needs raw materials, the right raw materials; and if you're actually getting effective exercise, your body needs the protein that dsade said, to repair and build in response to the exercise. This is why protein powders & bars are so popular w/ athletes.

Beyond that, it just makes sense (for tracking, planning and evaluative purposes) to track your job as 30 min of aerobics, and then make sure you get some time every day (another 30 isn't extreme) working those parts of your body that your work isn't working.

And just because no-one's mentioned it yet, how much sleep are you getting?

 

[thesinner]

I normally get a pretty good work out collecting carts at work. I normally push at least 10 at a time. And after about an hour my shirt is pretty much drenched in sweat.

Well in this case, define "pretty good workout". It's like I was saying earlier, you start to develop a "good enough" attitude. Sometimes you can trick the mind, but you can never trick the body, so who are you really trying to fool?

Honestly, you're not going to get the body that you want because you are too complacent with the status quo. I'm not trying to down on you, but it's the truth; you're in the wrong mindset. I've helped many of people try to get into shape, and the only ones who've had any success were the ones who were willing to make sacrifices and go 'that extra mile' to achieve their goals. The first step to reaching any goal is getting the right attitude.

 

[t-bone2]

TDyer06,

Q: How much weight did you lose running three miles every night at your gym before your membership expired? And, where did you start bodyfat %-wise and where did you end?

Q: Your doctor... Did he ask you what your current diet consisted of? Did he attempt to determine your Resting Metabolic Rate and then tell you by how many calories to reduce your diet and what the overal macronutrient breakdown should be for Protein, Carbs and Fat? I'm betting he just said "If you want to lose weight you should eat less..." If so, sue him for malpractice.

In the thirteen posts on this thread, you've been given the answers to potentially solve your problem. Yet, even though you're asking for advice you appear to be blowing everyone off.

 

[TDyer06]

TDyer06,

Q: How much weight did you lose running three miles every night at your gym before your membership expired? And, where did you start bodyfat %-wise and where did you end?

When i was running the most i would loose was like 7lbs after running for a couple of months. I have no idea what my bodyfat is or anything. But I do have alot of muscle to me in my arms and in my legs. Its my mid section that im having trouble loosing. And i know i cant just aim at one part of my body and just loose fat/weight or what ever from that part.

Q: Your doctor... Did he ask you what your current diet consisted of? Did he attempt to determine your Resting Metabolic Rate and then tell you by how many calories to reduce your diet and what the overal macronutrient breakdown should be for Protein, Carbs and Fat? I'm betting he just said "If you want to lose weight you should eat less..." If so, sue him for malpractice.

yeah he pretty much just told me to eat less and to work out he didn't mention anything about my resting metabolic rate or anything.

In the thirteen posts on this thread, you've been given the answers to potentially solve your problem. Yet, even though you're asking for advice you appear to be blowing everyone off.
well half the time i dont understand what you guys are saying because you all are using these technical terms and i just dont understand what you saying.. call me stupid i guess. I am taking into consideration what everyone is saying.

 

[TDyer06]

Nobody's saying real life can't count, just that it's easy to cheat and/or be sloppy about it. Here's some stuff to consider:

- your work might be getting your BP & temp up, but is it making use of all your muscles in an appropriate fashion (form, specificity, etc), or predominantly over- (or mis-) using certain muscle groups?

ok think of it this way. you know when football players practice and they have to tackel that big pad thing? getting carts is like that. you have to dig with your legs but you also need alot of upper body strength especially since theres a slight incline when you push them. if that makes any sence.

- whatever the real-life activity, are you observing proper form and adapting where necessary to stay focused on the exercise aspect of the activity? (basic concepts of form like keeping a flat back & shoulders squared & abs tight, keeping movement balanced around your center-of-gravity, & avoiding overwork/injury/misuse through observation and forethought make a huge difference in trying to extract the fitness-value of everyday activities)

- are you eating as if you are training? You already told us no, but just to point out that your body needs raw materials, the right raw materials; and if you're actually getting effective exercise, your body needs the protein that dsade said, to repair and build in response to the exercise. This is why protein powders & bars are so popular w/ athletes.

Beyond that, it just makes sense (for tracking, planning and evaluative purposes) to track your job as 30 min of aerobics, and then make sure you get some time every day (another 30 isn't extreme) working those parts of your body that your work isn't working.

what if i just dont have time to work out? every day i get up at 5:30 in the morning.. go to school.. come home get ready for work .. go to work.. come home do home work and relax. thats pretty much my week.

And just because no-one's mentioned it yet, how much sleep are you getting?

I try to get 7-8 hrs or sleep each night but ever since i started this new job i've been really restless and i've been litterly getting up in my sleep every night thinking that im at work and i start bagging groceries in my sleep. is this bad? its been going on for about the past 3-4 months.

 

[thesinner]

[Beyond that, it just makes sense (for tracking, planning and evaluative purposes) to track your job as 30 min of aerobics, and then make sure you get some time every day (another 30 isn't extreme) working those parts of your body that your work isn't working. [/I]

what if i just dont have time to work out? every day i get up at 5:30 in the morning.. go to school.. come home get ready for work .. go to work.. come home do home work and relax. thats pretty much my week.

You ask how can you make time to exercise, I ask how can you have time to relax?

Even just 30 minutes 3 days a week. The OC is an overrated show, gossiping online never accomplishes good, and flipping through the channels is just a longer way to find out that nothing's on anyhow.

 

[TDyer06]

You ask how can you make time to exercise, I ask how can you have time to relax?

Even just 30 minutes 3 days a week. The OC is an overrated show, gossiping online never accomplishes good, and flipping through the channels is just a longer way to find out that nothing's on anyhow.

by the time i get off of work its 10pm. would you work out after being up since 5am being at school all day then going straight to work and running your ass off at work? and when i ever get a chance to relax im working on homework for school.

 

[TheCSWFighter]

by the time i get off of work its 10pm. would you work out after being up since 5am being at school all day then going straight to work and running your ass off at work? and when i ever get a chance to relax im working on homework for school.

I am terribly confused. You say you get around 7-8 hours of sleep. Then you say you get home from work at 10 pm. You also say you wake up at 5:00 AM to get ready for school. That's 7 hours inbetween getting up and getting home from work. So that means it's only possible to get 7 hours of sleep. Then you have to factor in showering since not too many people want to go to bed with their shirt "drenched in sweat." Not to mention you also have to study for school when you get home from work. That means if you did all this you will be only getting around 4 hours of sleep. Then you say you have time to relax. I am just terribly confused.

You say one thing, then people give you advice. When they don't give you the answer you want to hear (magical 2 minute exercise or pill) you get frusterated and make up an excuse that completely contradicts everything you said. There is obviously no use in trying to help you. I suggest that when you are ready to work and make sacrifices you come back. Until then, it seems everyone is just talking to a wall.

 

[thesinner]

by the time i get off of work its 10pm. would you work out after being up since 5am being at school all day then going straight to work and running your ass off at work? and when i ever get a chance to relax im working on homework for school.

Ok, first off I think you're starting to exaggerate. You said earlier you got up at 5:30. Now it's 5:00. I can't imagine you are swamped for 17 hours every day. If you're getting up at 5, getting back from work at 10, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, either you have the divine ability to freeze time, you can do all your hw & relax in the time it takes to drop a dime, or you're full of it. As an hs student I wouldn't imagine you're working over 20 hrs per week. Ever hear of weekends?

Second off, none of this is my problem, and all of it is your problem. If you want to exercise, you need to make time to exercise. I think what we have here is a time management issue.

Try making up a schedule, of all the things going on during the week. Allot approximate times for your various activities, and try to find/create gaps. You not finding time to exercise is not my problem, it's yours. I can harp on you that you need to exercise, while you tell me you can't find time, all day long, and that still isn't going to solve your problem. You need to be able to make due with what you got because you'll never be able to make due with what you don't.

 

[t-bone2]

Even though this will sound like I'm saying it in jest, consider the possiblity. IF getting on birth control is responsible for gaining the 20 lbs AND IF your schedule is as busy as you say (i.e. get up at 5:00 - 5:30 in the morning.. go to school.. come home get ready for work .. go to work.. come home [at ~10:00pm] do home work and relax.. go to sleep for 7-8 hours) then I can't see how you can fit in the nice'ty. It doesn't look like you have even a free 30 seconds somewhere in there. Maybe get off BC and use a non-oral solution.

 

[TheCSWFighter]

Or tell your doctor about the side effects you think you're experiencing with the BC. Some BC's are better suited for different people. Some may get headaches and nausea from some and on another prescription they may not. Talk to your doctor about other BC's if you feel you should be on them.