I will put in an hour + at the gym tonight, cardio, lower body weights, yoga, and somehow maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I will be eating 1140 calories today, with 70 grams carbs!!!! AAAAAAAGH!! What have I done!!!!!!!!

Make sure that you're nice enough to order for them. They will probably want a Large Big Mac Value Meal with an apple pie on the side!! LOLOL....

Yeeeaaaa, Super Size that baby! Do you think I can get them to add a scoop of ice cream on the apple pie? Too bad they don't sell deep-fried ice cream, like we have at the carnivals.

I just read your profile to get a handle on where you are in your journey. I agree with others, you should not be eating so little. I realize we are all different, but I eat between 1000-1200 a day and losing, with going to the gym and Zumba 3-5 times a week. Try eating above 1000. You look AMAZING, BTW. Slow losing has done your body good!

I do not have much to add to this thread, but I think it is important to try and achieve a state of equilibrium in the body.

You already know that eating at such low calorie deficits like 800 calories a day kills the BMR over time. You are able to fix this as others have pointed out on a different thread. Find your TDEE and work on increasing your caloric intake o be 200-300 calories below that with respect to the training/cardio you do. It will take some time to get your BMR back into an equilibrium state, but I think that is what you are really after.

BMR Equilibrium within the macronutrient ratios of eating will allow you to eat, for example, 1800 calories of good quality lean Proteins, leafy vegetables, good starches (think: brown rice or oats) and the occasional splurge. Your body will become a finely tuned engine for efficiently processing food 24 hours a day.

I do not count much of anything now days, but stick to a very solid and clean set of food choices that regulates my fat burning process around the clock. I eat enough to sustain my daily training sessions (always an hour or less). I try and make every training session high quality and effective. 6 am is usually a Protein shake and an energy square. An hour Before training (8am) I eat a banana with Peanut Butter. After training I eat a recovery Protein Shake (whey with bcaa chain). As my training is usually at 9am (M, W, F and Sat), I eat about 2 hours after training for lunch and then again at 3pm and so on all the way until 9 pm. Repeat. On T, Thur, I train at 4 pm so flip the morning eating strategy to afternoon in order to nourish my body before, during and after training. It works out pretty nicely and my body likes the food it gets.

For me, drinking high quality Protein shakes when I rise (extended release) and when I go to bed (casein - long acting) is important to start the day off right and to keep my BMR working for me all night long. I am rarely hungry as I eat every 2-3 hours. If I do get hungry in between my 2-3 hour eating times, I have some extra lean protein. Each meal is between 200-500 calories. I am eating between 1400-2100 calories a day and am able to still cut the fat and build the lean muscle. My body fat percentage is currently at 17%. Shooting for 10% in 4 months from now, down 15 lbs of fat and up 5-10 lb of lean muscle. Not sure if 10% is achievable in 12 months, but will certainly give it my focus.

Once you reach a state of equilibrium, you will no longer need to be a slave to low carb or low calorie diets. Your body will stop trying to store whatever energy it can find. You can eat to live and stop the insanity of starvation dieting.

As others have stated, get your Water in! And lots of it.

Water is the primary means for us to hydrate and also to flush toxins out of our bodies. Toxins cause the breakdown of cells (oxidation process) which mutates otherwise good cells into Inefficient and mutant cells. Inefficient cells are terrible at supporting the transport of nutrients to muscles, the brain and other parts of the body. Eating to meet the macronutrient needs of the body requires a clean body to properly keep it running at optimal efficiency.

Toxicity in the body leads to inflammation. Inflammation leads to storage of more fat and more fat leads to the retention of water to support stored fat. More importantly, stored fat from inflammation is usually visceral fat around the organs. this is the worse kind to have as visceral fat is known to shorten life expectations.

By drinking or eating your daily antioxidants in the form of fruit, vegetables or supplementation, you can slow down and correct the cellular breakdown and create a healthy environment for the processing of nutrients in your body. Secondly, the waste and toxins formed by training hard or by eating processed foods and junk is a precursor to the inflammation process so you need to constantly be drinking water to flush it out. I drink about 1.5 gallon throughout the day. We all want to minimize of eliminate excess inflammation in the body to create a state of health.

This may seem like a full time job. At first it is, but it gets easier over time until eventually it is a lifestyle. I also do work a full time desk job that usually ends up being 12-15 hours in actuality a day ( luckily it is at home currently). I am a software developer by trade so can work some pretty long hours, but still I find one hour a day to get in exercise and also am able to manage the healthy lifestyle of eating and supplementation. I also still have a couple hours of down time at night and the weekends with family. It is very possible to have this lifestyle and also carry on with life's responsibilities. I do not really watch tv much, but do get out to some movies occasionally over the weekend. I do not have children, but do spend a lot of time with my pets. Love my dog to death!!

Sorry that my comments are quite general, but I think you can do this.

you have to eat to lose weight! If you undereat, your body will hold onto the fat, you are starving it, and it wont let it go! I upped my calories after a 3 week stall, and dropped 3 LBS that week! I'm averaging between 1,100 and 1,300 every day and am losing 1.2-3 lbs per week. Eat your protein, drink your water, exercize at least 3-4 times per week, you will lose! It's all math.

I eat 1200 calories a day and have lost over 100lbs. I don't want to eat less as all the studies and research to date shows eating less screws with the bodies metabolism. That's how I got obese in the first place, and I want to eat as normally and as healthily as possible.

I work out a minimum of three times a week and do a minimum of three hot yoga classes a week.

Weekends, or nights out, I will have a few wines and I make sure I burn those extra calories off by upping my work out to match. I use a polar watch and heart rate monitor when I work out to accurately measure the calories I burn.

All in all, I am living a really good life. I want to establish the patterns in my life now that will carry me through and ensure once I am in my goal weight range that I can maintain and stay in my goal weight range. Previously, for me, I could lose weight, usually by dropping to ridiculously low calorie levels and working out like a woman possessed, but I could never maintain and always put the weight back on plus more.

This is why I won't go under 1200 a day now. This is why I won't work out every day. Because I know these things are not maintainable for me in the long term.

Perhaps you may find your own loss is compromised by eating so few calories and working out as frequently? Maybe not. But I do know one thing. Don't freak out for eating calories well less than is recommended for an active adult female to eat in a day. Just let it go and move back to what is right for you tomorrow.

This is what ends up so frustrating with a thread like this, it ends up depressing me and I think whybother posting at all? Because it always ends up being people using at as a forum to tell me about their perfect eating habits and how they are eating non stop and losing all their weight and la-ti-da. And then I get the people who are just like, "it's all mathematics! eat responsibly and exercise and you will lose the weight!" Really? Is that all I need to do?

Why didn't I think of that before.

Come on guys, did you not read where I said that I have tried it all? I'm not new here, I've had almost 3 years of practice and I have been the most faithful, goody two shoes patient and I am still obese. The only comment that came close to something there was the person who said slow thyroid. I mean, after trying every trick in the book, I'm starting to wonder if there really might be a chemical problem in my body.

This is what ends up so frustrating with a thread like this' date=' it ends up depressing me and I think whybother posting at all? Because it always ends up being people using at as a forum to tell me about their perfect eating habits and how they are eating non stop and losing all their weight and la-ti-da. And then I get the people who are just like, "it's all mathematics! eat responsibly and exercise and you will lose the weight!" Really? Is that all I need to do?

Why didn't I think of that before.

Come on guys, did you not read where I said that I have tried it all? I'm not new here, I've had almost 3 years of practice and I have been the most faithful, goody two shoes patient and I am still obese. The only comment that came close to something there was the person who said slow thyroid. I mean, after trying every trick in the book, I'm starting to wonder if there really might be a chemical problem in my body.[/quote']

Then it sounds like you already have your answer without anybody's help :S so go see your doctor...

Stress is the factor major of your problem. You need to stop stressing and take this journey day by day. Stress allows you to carry so much unwanted weight. You know the good food from the bad. So nobody needs to tell u what to eat and how to eat. Please relax work out 4x a week and eat right. U need energy to buen energy.

I am currently deployed, maybe I can see a Dr on R&R, I keep hoping for somebody to tell me of a method I haven't thought of ...

This is what ends up so frustrating with a thread like this, it ends up depressing me and I think whybother posting at all? Because it always ends up being people using at as a forum to tell me about their perfect eating habits and how they are eating non stop and losing all their weight and la-ti-da. And then I get the people who are just like, "it's all mathematics! eat responsibly and exercise and you will lose the weight!" Really? Is that all I need to do?

Why didn't I think of that before.

Come on guys, did you not read where I said that I have tried it all? I'm not new here, I've had almost 3 years of practice and I have been the most faithful, goody two shoes patient and I am still obese. The only comment that came close to something there was the person who said slow thyroid. I mean, after trying every trick in the book, I'm starting to wonder if there really might be a chemical problem in my body.

Nothing new under the sun... I read all posts closely, maybe it IS time for a new MD to assess your metabolism. Be safe and well in your deployment.

This is what ends up so frustrating with a thread like this, it ends up depressing me and I think whybother posting at all? Because it always ends up being people using at as a forum to tell me about their perfect eating habits and how they are eating non stop and losing all their weight and la-ti-da. And then I get the people who are just like, "it's all mathematics! eat responsibly and exercise and you will lose the weight!" Really? Is that all I need to do?

Why didn't I think of that before.

Come on guys, did you not read where I said that I have tried it all? I'm not new here, I've had almost 3 years of practice and I have been the most faithful, goody two shoes patient and I am still obese. The only comment that came close to something there was the person who said slow thyroid. I mean, after trying every trick in the book, I'm starting to wonder if there really might be a chemical problem in my body.

Actually, I forgot about that magic bean I take every morning...in all seriousness, there's no magic pill. See a doctor and don't ask for advice when you don't want to hear it. WOW.

This is what ends up so frustrating with a thread like this, it ends up depressing me and I think whybother posting at all? Because it always ends up being people using at as a forum to tell me about their perfect eating habits and how they are eating non stop and losing all their weight and la-ti-da. And then I get the people who are just like, "it's all mathematics! eat responsibly and exercise and you will lose the weight!" Really? Is that all I need to do?

Why didn't I think of that before.

Come on guys, did you not read where I said that I have tried it all? I'm not new here, I've had almost 3 years of practice and I have been the most faithful, goody two shoes patient and I am still obese. The only comment that came close to something there was the person who said slow thyroid. I mean, after trying every trick in the book, I'm starting to wonder if there really might be a chemical problem in my body.

What do you do to track everything? Everyone claims the numbers should add up, but most of us know that they don't! Have you had your RMR tested? Do you wear a HRM? Maybe getting a better look at your numbers would be helpful. 3 years and never going above 750 cals has undoubtedly crashed your metabolism. If you do extreme low carb, then it would make sense that eating more makes you gain, as you are restoring your body's glycogen stores. You said you tried to eat more, but you also said you never go above 750 cals. If you did try to eat more, did you slowly increase 50-100 cal per day every week for several weeks to allow your body to reach an equilibrium? What type of foods do you eat? Packaged or all whole foods? What are your macronutrient ratios? How much Water do you drink? There are lots of things to look at, but please don't be discouraged by those who are trying to let you know what worked for them. My questions are not to accuse you, but to dig for something that may help. I'm not a vet or an expert, but I do read a TON about TDEE, BMR, RMR, eating to fuel your workouts, and etc. If you're interested in more information, I would love to forward you the articles. I stopped losing when I started working out more. I slowly increased my calories to 20% below TDEE and have been losing steadily ever since (slowly), and I am OK with that. I chilled out on the cardio and added weight training, which is really changing my body. I wear a HRM 24-7 to keep a good grasp on my activity and log everything in MFP. I wish it wasn't necessary, but it helps keep me accountable. Nothing works the same for everyone, but I think people are sharing in an effort to be helpful, not to be put on a pedestal.

I think since u are tryin to lose weight n build muscle..isopure no carb protein powder is the best thing to do..u can get the vanilla flavor..n buy extracts to flavor it how u like..add fruit n so on..it tastes great..I got the creamy vanilla n its awsome..also use the smaller weight so u are doin more toning while losin..an cardio..I have heard many great things about the insanity work out n the px90 thinkin about doin one of those later myself..I bought coconut extract..to add in it..an In morning I make a blended coffee with my protein..so I have my coffee n breakfast in one..isopure is one of the best protein powders out their for women cause it is a no carb one..n it helps u tone n build lean muscle while workin out..also at musclemax.com they have a brand called emerge with a bunch of fruity fun flavors for summer check those out..its for weight loss..like cherry tart.sour apple.minty mojito.etc..

Deff watch ur calorie intake as well tht will deff help..maybe download a app in phone to help u keep track of tht..try also makin raw veggi n fruit smoothies..since its summer its a great time for all tht..the lighter u eat.the easier it is to burn it off..

Thank you so much TheaMarie and California Chick, your posts made me feel listened to

Thea - here is what I ate yesterday -

Breakfast - tukey sausage, pineapple

lunch - curry chicken salad, serving of girl scout thin mints

dinner 1- steak, salad

dinner 2 post-gym - beef Jerky, half a Quest bar

total cals - 830

total carbs 39

total Protein - 75

Trying to eat responsibly out here while maintaining a higher calorie level takes serious work, I could hit that calorie level but then I would run through my Protein powder and it is a precious commodity.

At the gym yesterday I did 15 minutes on the elliptical at optimum heart rate and then 30 minutes optimum effort on the treadmill, after which I was drenched and wobbly. Then I did some deep yoga stretching for about 25 minutes. Today will be upper body weights and yoga.

The conditions out here are not optimal for perfectionist monitoring so I just have to make do. I know that yesterday's calorie count was "low" but it has been between 1140 and 1180 since the day this thread started, and I've focused on weight training, and as of this morning I am up four pounds