Need help, struggling with weight loss

[fays12]

I have been trying to lose weight for a couple of years but I think I need help as its taking so much time to reach my goals. I lost 130 lbs to my current weight of 320 lb, so yes I did lose alot of weight, but it took me years and I still have alot to lose! I dont want to waste another 5 years and I want to start living my life.

My biggest issue is extreme hunger at night so its hard to stay consistent. I attempt to eat 1500 calories a day so maybe thats the issue? Im a bit scared to eat 2500+ calories as the calorie calculator suggests. When I dont get good results after struggling, this is when I start fasting or doing extreme things to see my weight drop. I started going to the Gym last week yet I gained weight for some reason! So im tired and need someones help..

Sex: Male
Age: 31
Weight 320 lb
Height: 5'11

[CommitmentRulz]

My biggest issue is extreme hunger at night, binge eating, and hard to stay consistent.

I eat 1500 calories a day so maybe thats the issue?

So you don't eat, consistently, anywhere near 1500 calories a day?

How long has it taken you to lose 130 pounds?

Do you WEIGH your food and sauces, cooking oils?

[fays12]

So you don't eat, consistently, anywhere near 1500 calories a day?

How long has it taken you to lose 130 pounds?

Do you WEIGH your food and sauces, cooking oils?

It took me 6 years to lose that weight..

Yes I do weight every single thing I cook. I prepare my 1500 calorie meals in the morning and eat them through the day. I get hungry alot so I finish all my food around 5-6 PM. At night I start struggling with hunger and eat some more. I usually eat healthy foods like eggs, tuna, veggies, or lettuce to feel full. So if im eating 1500 calories, then add on that some calories from eggs and veggies, I dont think it should stop me from losing weight?

So should I increase my calories so I wont feel hunger? or what do you think I should do?

[SuffolkPunch]

So you aren't really eating 1500 calories... You are probably eating at maintenance (not probably - definitely - if you are losing zero weight). If you eat to feel full, your appetite will make sure this happens, it's called homeostasis.

[Garage Rat]

You could have other under lying medical issues that a doctor or dietician would be able to help.
Props to you for losing 130 pounds.
One of the toughest things is either maintaining and as you mentioned kick starting it to drop more weight.
I would hope your keeping meticulous records with your diet and training.
These are guides to help you achieve goals and need to be adjusted from time to time.
Try different foods,try rotating calories daily,eat less later on.
It's normal for people on a restricted diet to crave foods in the evening after their done with meals.
It's the worse time to eat because usually you go to bed within a few hours and have no real activity so calories are either eliminated or stored as fat.
It does take a lot of discipline for sure and i believe you have that if you've lost 130 pounds already.
You always have to keep the "goal"in mind and be dedicated to it wanting it more than anything.
You might want to get a trainer or coach to be accountable to if you think you can't do it on your own.
Good luck.

[fays12]

You could have other under lying medical issues that a doctor or dietician would be able to help.
Props to you for losing 130 pounds.
One of the toughest things is either maintaining and as you mentioned kick starting it to drop more weight.
I would hope your keeping meticulous records with your diet and training.
These are guides to help you achieve goals and need to be adjusted from time to time.
Try different foods,try rotating calories daily,eat less later on.
It's normal for people on a restricted diet to crave foods in the evening after their done with meals.
It's the worse time to eat because usually you go to bed within a few hours and have no real activity so calories are either eliminated or stored as fat.
It does take a lot of discipline for sure and i believe you have that if you've lost 130 pounds already.
You always have to keep the "goal"in mind and be dedicated to it wanting it more than anything.
You might want to get a trainer or coach to be accountable to if you think you can't do it on your own.
Good luck.

Thank you so much

I will continue and I know I can do it, but I dont want to waste alot of years on it. I want to live my life and reach my goal like most people do within a year or two. Ive been trying to lose weight my whole life specially the last 6 years. This is why I think I need help?

I did go to a really good doctor and he said I have sleep apnea, body inflammation, and high insulin but im not diebetic.

[faithbrah]

you're 320 lbs, there's zero chance you wouldn't lose weight even on 2500 calories. don't be scared to eat 2500 and ACTUALLY count them right

[Luclin999]

It took me 6 years to lose that weight..

Yes I do weight every single thing I cook. I prepare my 1500 calorie meals in the morning and eat them through the day. I get hungry alot so I finish all my food around 5-6 PM. At night I start struggling with hunger and eat some more. I usually eat healthy foods like eggs, tuna, veggies, or lettuce to feel full. So if im eating 1500 calories, then add on that some calories from eggs and veggies, I dont think it should stop me from losing weight?

Eating a bunch of random, uncounted calories is what is holding you at 320 pounds.

Also, at that weight, you should be able to eat at 2500 cal/day and still lose weight IF you don't just binge on "healthy foods" every night.

Plan out your meals and calories early in the day and just eat what you have already planned for that meal. Reserve 600-800 of your daily 2500 calories to eat an hour before bedtime.

Do all of that and you should start to lose 5-6 pounds per month.

[RTB1]

I agree with the others, if you're eating when you're hungry, it's just not going to work. You have to know how much you're taking in (weigh/log everything), then you can come up with a plan to cut safely, responsibly, and consistently. If you only do half-measures, it will take a lot longer. This was the mistake I made and yes, I have wasted years as a result.

[fays12]

you're 320 lbs, there's zero chance you wouldn't lose weight even on 2500 calories. don't be scared to eat 2500 and ACTUALLY count them right

Eating a bunch of random, uncounted calories is what is holding you at 320 pounds.

Also, at that weight, you should be able to eat at 2500 cal/day and still lose weight IF you don't just binge on "healthy foods" every night.

Plan out your meals and calories early in the day and just eat what you have already planned for that meal. Reserve 600-800 of your daily 2500 calories to eat an hour before bedtime.

Do all of that and you should start to lose 5-6 pounds per month.

Ok sounds good I will try this for 10 days and see what happens

[CommitmentRulz]

Ok sounds good I will try this for 10 days and see what happens

Based on your binges and night time eating, 2500 is likely LESS than you are eating now...

[xsquid99]

No chance you aren't losing on 1500 a day, I weigh 100 lbs less than you and losing 1-2 lbs a week comfortably on 2500 calories a day. I'm guessing that you're not actually tracking as closely as you should be, or "guestimating" and you're pretty far off in those guesses. Every single thing counts, every bit of cooking oil, drinks (non zero calorie ones), cream/sugar in your coffee, condiments, etc. Everything needs to be weighed down to the gram and tracked meticulously.

[calumscotland]

your obvsly not being consistant with your calories thats why its as simple as that

[yak93]

Hi! Congrats on your progress so far. Dont' forget how far you have came. That should help motivate you to keep pushing. The weight you gained from the gym was probably water weight due to minor inflammation from the trauma your muscles went through. This is completely normal.

As other people stated, you should track everything that you eat, even if you deem it "healthy". If eating late at night is a must, then I would recommend reserving 300-500 calories for that. Time of eating has little to no effect on overall weight change when calories are equated. It is a myth that eating late at night automatically causes you to gain weight. The problem is the "mindless" eating that normally happens at night.

I would suggest filling up on (portioned) leafy green vegetables. Also, and this may seems controversial, you could try to curb these hunger pangs by drinking a zero calorie carbonated beverage. This will help prevent the mindless eating and studies have shown that diet pops are no more fattening than water.

Good luck and keep pushing!

[fays12]

Hi! Congrats on your progress so far. Dont' forget how far you have came. That should help motivate you to keep pushing. The weight you gained from the gym was probably water weight due to minor inflammation from the trauma your muscles went through. This is completely normal.

As other people stated, you should track everything that you eat, even if you deem it "healthy". If eating late at night is a must, then I would recommend reserving 300-500 calories for that. Time of eating has little to no effect on overall weight change when calories are equated. It is a myth that eating late at night automatically causes you to gain weight. The problem is the "mindless" eating that normally happens at night.

I would suggest filling up on (portioned) leafy green vegetables. Also, and this may seems controversial, you could try to curb these hunger pangs by drinking a zero calorie carbonated beverage. This will help prevent the mindless eating and studies have shown that diet pops are no more fattening than water.

Good luck and keep pushing!

Yeah I heard that I shouldnt eat at night, and I was intermittent fasting so I had a eating window. Clearly its creating more harm than good so I will make alot of changes based on what people said and see how it goes. And yes I stopped diet soda because some said it will stop my weight loss!

Thank you for all the advice and encouragement

[Ghawk21]

Yeah I heard that I shouldnt eat at night, and I was intermittent fasting so I had a eating window. Clearly its creating more harm than good so I will make alot of changes based on what people said and see how it goes. And yes I stopped diet soda because some said it will stop my weight loss!

Thank you for all the advice and encouragement

Don't take any advice from someone who tells you diet soda will stop weight loss. Its 0 calorie, impossible to add weight off diet soda.

[xsquid99]

Yeah I heard that I shouldnt eat at night, and I was intermittent fasting so I had a eating window. Clearly its creating more harm than good so I will make alot of changes based on what people said and see how it goes. And yes I stopped diet soda because some said it will stop my weight loss!

Thank you for all the advice and encouragement

There’s nothing wrong with eating at night and diet soda has ZERO calories so it has absolutely no effect on weight loss.

[AWillis]

if you have been eating that low calories for years without a break you might have metabolic damage. and would be a reason why you aren't losing more even at your current weight

[Ghawk21]

if you have been eating that low calories for years without a break you might have metabolic damage. and would be a reason why you aren't losing more even at your current weight

No offense to OP but the man is 320lbs, he does not have metabolic damage stopping him from losing more weight. He has freely admitted he binges and has no idea how many calories hes actually consuming. More so, he lost the original weight over 6 years so it wasn't like he was starving himself. He needs to track properly and find a happy medium where he doesn't binge eat. 2500cals would be a good starting place but it needs to actually be 2500cals average/day.

[fays12]

Don't take any advice from someone who tells you diet soda will stop weight loss. Its 0 calorie, impossible to add weight off diet soda.

There’s nothing wrong with eating at night and diet soda has ZERO calories so it has absolutely no effect on weight loss.

Their argument is it has artificial sweetener which increases hunger and spike insulin. It also effects hormones with all the chemicals so its not healthy. But I think I disagree and me drinking diet soda will do more good than harm if it will help me stick to my diet.

No offense to OP but the man is 320lbs, he does not have metabolic damage stopping him from losing more weight. He has freely admitted he binges and has no idea how many calories hes actually consuming. More so, he lost the original weight over 6 years so it wasn't like he was starving himself. He needs to track properly and find a happy medium where he doesn't binge eat. 2500cals would be a good starting place but it needs to actually be 2500cals average/day.

Yes thats very true. I think my issue was being too strict on myself with calories, intermittent fasting, cutting out foods like diet soda, and not allowing myself to eat at night.

[SuffolkPunch]

Their argument is it has artificial sweetener which increases hunger and spike insulin. It also effects hormones with all the chemicals so its not healthy. But I think I disagree and me drinking diet soda will do more good than harm if it will help me stick to my diet.

It's a nonsense argument. Traces of insulin might have been found in response to artificial sweetners but it basically cannot be enough to make any difference - blood sugar is maintained between quite tight bounds so a large release of insulin without extra carbs being present would cause you to quickly become hypoglycemic and slip into a coma or even die. This has happened to people who inject insulin but luckily the body is not quite so self destructive.

BTW it's incorrect to say that insulin increases hunger, it's actually an appetite suppressant.

There is no evidence of other ingredients in diet sodas having negative effects in sensible doses - if they are FDA approved, it means they are some of the most studied ingredients in the world.

[Cyrus1934]

Like, the others have told you my friend. You should be very very happy and proud of your hard work and dedication in regards to the weight you have already lost. That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment! Back in 1983 I was living in CT. I was training but eating six pork chops each night or a full pizza. I was working as Chef. My schedule was as follows: 5 am. Wake up. Work 6 am to 230pm. Home 3 pm. 3 pm to 4 pm. Nap 430 pm Turkey sandwich. Gym. 6 to 8pm. Food store. 830 pm. Beer store. 845 pm. Home 9 pm. Grilling six pork chops, eating them and playing guitar.930 to 1130 pm. I was basically ruining any chance of weight loss or attaining contest definition. Not too mention increasing my cholesterol levels I'm sure. Even though I was training regularly on a six day split. My lifestyle and eating habits were halting my progress. I should add I was much younger and was living away from home. Family etc. So I might have been seeking comfort from the nightly libation and food consumption. Truth be told though. Some of my best songs were written on that side porch. Under that makeshift corrogated tin roof. Some good times were had. Saving Grace arrived via the Glorious US postal service one day: saved my life: It was an entry form to compete in a regional body building competition. I took a hard look at myself. No fine lines or cuts. I was big. Smooth and strong. Not a contest winning body. Got disgusted with my appearance. In my younger years I represented a human anatomy chart. Was beyond shredded. My lifestyle got the best of me. Cure:I filled out that entry form and sent it back. I was going to compete. Got disgusted. Dropped nightly beer and grilled Cajun chops. Took up running. Hard at first. Cycled too. Easier on knees. Increased reps and perform ed more specialized exercises in gym. Diet: started six small meals a day so I didn't stretch stomach out. Breakfast: one fried egg sandwich on whole wheat toast. Glass oj. Mid Morn snack: 1/2 cup blueberries. Lunch: salad with 1 can tuna in water drained with red wine vinegar for dressing with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper. Mid afternoon snack: 1 Orange. Dinner 5 pm :6 0z grilled boneless chick breast. 1 cup brown cooked rice. Fresh steamed veggies. No butter or oil. Hit gym. 630 to 830 pm. Home 9 pm Late night snack: sliced low salt Turkey and sliced tomato with lettuce leaves for bread. No mayo no dressing. Bed 10 pm. That's it. That was my life for 4 months. Went from 189 to 169 Got ripped again. Placed 3rd in my weight and height class. My plan was to gradually. Lose the weight and exercise all the while. I don't know if my story helps. But keep up the great work and desire. Once u start to see results from your hard work. Nothing will stop u from reaching your goals. Most importantly. Don't quit!!! Good luck, Cy!!

[faithbrah]

Like, the others have told you my friend. You should be very very happy and proud of your hard work and dedication in regards to the weight you have already lost. That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment! Back in 1983 I was living in CT. I was training but eating six pork chops each night or a full pizza. I was working as Chef. My schedule was as follows: 5 am. Wake up. Work 6 am to 230pm. Home 3 pm. 3 pm to 4 pm. Nap 430 pm Turkey sandwich. Gym. 6 to 8pm. Food store. 830 pm. Beer store. 845 pm. Home 9 pm. Grilling six pork chops, eating them and playing guitar.930 to 1130 pm. I was basically ruining any chance of weight loss or attaining contest definition. Not too mention increasing my cholesterol levels I'm sure. Even though I was training regularly on a six day split. My lifestyle and eating habits were halting my progress. I should add I was much younger and was living away from home. Family etc. So I might have been seeking comfort from the nightly libation and food consumption. Truth be told though. Some of my best songs were written on that side porch. Under that makeshift corrogated tin roof. Some good times were had. Saving Grace arrived via the Glorious US postal service one day: saved my life: It was an entry form to compete in a regional body building competition. I took a hard look at myself. No fine lines or cuts. I was big. Smooth and strong. Not a contest winning body. Got disgusted with my appearance. In my younger years I represented a human anatomy chart. Was beyond shredded. My lifestyle got the best of me. Cure:I filled out that entry form and sent it back. I was going to compete. Got disgusted. Dropped nightly beer and grilled Cajun chops. Took up running. Hard at first. Cycled too. Easier on knees. Increased reps and perform ed more specialized exercises in gym. Diet: started six small meals a day so I didn't stretch stomach out. Breakfast: one fried egg sandwich on whole wheat toast. Glass oj. Mid Morn snack: 1/2 cup blueberries. Lunch: salad with 1 can tuna in water drained with red wine vinegar for dressing with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper. Mid afternoon snack: 1 Orange. Dinner 5 pm :6 0z grilled boneless chick breast. 1 cup brown cooked rice. Fresh steamed veggies. No butter or oil. Hit gym. 630 to 830 pm. Home 9 pm Late night snack: sliced low salt Turkey and sliced tomato with lettuce leaves for bread. No mayo no dressing. Bed 10 pm. That's it. That was my life for 4 months. Went from 189 to 169 Got ripped again. Placed 3rd in my weight and height class. My plan was to gradually. Lose the weight and exercise all the while. I don't know if my story helps. But keep up the great work and desire. Once u start to see results from your hard work. Nothing will stop u from reaching your goals. Most importantly. Don't quit!!! Good luck, Cy!!

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anyway OP, keep sipping diet soda if it helps with your goals