Long term frustration

nxd10

I have been logging and maintaining for 5 years. I had lost 38 pounds. Around a year ago I did some traveling and gained 5 pounds (I'm 160 now, which is a fine weight for me: BMI 23, I'm 5'10"). But I like it better at 150-155 range. I often would gain 5 pounds after traveling, even though I logged, but it would always come back down within a week. Over the 5 years it was taking longer and longer to get back down.

I have not been able to get back from 160 to 155. I am, frankly, puzzled. My calories are set down to a 500 calorie deficit and HAVE been for a year. I hit those goals. I walk an hour a day - and that definitely helps. I log everything.

I'm not gaining but I am not losing. I am going to up my exercise, redouble my logging meticulousness (maybe my portions have slipped upwards?). I'm going to look at my macros again - I know I can't lose no matter what if my carbs are over 40% and we have been eating a fair amount of rice. Fortunately, we are going towards paleo now for health reasons for both my husband and son.

Anything else I might be missing? It could just be slowing metabolism. I am almost 60. I first gained weight slowly when my metabolism slowed at 40. Don't want to do that again!

Rusty740

If you have had a 500 calorie deficit for a year and you haven't lost weight, then you haven't actually had a calorie deficit.

Even though you've tightened up your logging, I would look there again with a kitchen scale. While our bodies do slow down as we age, it just means we are less active so we need less food. It doesn't mean out metabolism slows down and so we need less food while doing the same activity. That would mean we become more efficient as we age, and we know that's not right.

Perhaps you are over estimating the number of calories burned on exercise. You could choose to not eat back your exercise.

ggeise14

Definitely frustrating! Many of your MFP friends are following this discussion because if you can't get back to your ultimate goal --- what does that say for the rest of us! Will be reading and following this.

HeidiCooksSupper

Age is, indeed, a factor in TDEE calculation. The TDEE for a 60 year old with your stats is about 100 calories less/day than a 50 year old.

lorrpb

Rusty740 wrote: »

If you have had a 500 calorie deficit for a year and you haven't lost weight, then you haven't actually had a calorie deficit.

Even though you've tightened up your logging, I would look there again with a kitchen scale. While our bodies do slow down as we age, it just means we are less active so we need less food. It doesn't mean out metabolism slows down and so we need less food while doing the same activity. That would mean we become more efficient as we age, and we know that's not right.

Perhaps you are over estimating the number of calories burned on exercise. You could choose to not eat back your exercise.

Yes, it does (bold section). Otherwise, your advice is on point. In addition, we need fewer calories when we become less active, at any age.

HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »

Age is, indeed, a factor in TDEE calculation. The TDEE for a 60 year old with your stats is about 100 calories less/day than a 50 year old.

^^This is true. It is well-established info. MFP took away 50 calories on my birthday this year, and it wasn't even a "decade" age!

Rusty740

lorrpb wrote: »

Rusty740 wrote: »

If you have had a 500 calorie deficit for a year and you haven't lost weight, then you haven't actually had a calorie deficit.

Even though you've tightened up your logging, I would look there again with a kitchen scale. While our bodies do slow down as we age, it just means we are less active so we need less food. It doesn't mean out metabolism slows down and so we need less food while doing the same activity. That would mean we become more efficient as we age, and we know that's not right.

Perhaps you are over estimating the number of calories burned on exercise. You could choose to not eat back your exercise.

Yes, it does (bold section). Otherwise, your advice is on point. In addition, we need fewer calories when we become less active, at any age.

HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »

Age is, indeed, a factor in TDEE calculation. The TDEE for a 60 year old with your stats is about 100 calories less/day than a 50 year old.

^^This is true. It is well-established info. MFP took away 50 calories on my birthday this year, and it wasn't even a "decade" age!

Perhaps the way I'd written that didn't come through. What I meant to say was It doesn't mean that since our metabolism slows down therefore we need less food while doing the same activity.

That still doesn't come out right. What I mean is that a slowing metabolism isn't the problem.

gearhead426hemi

You might need to change up your workout routine as well. Your body will get used to what you are eating and your physical activity load. Try to change it up and see if that helps. My wife was set in her ways with her workout videos and she hit a plateau for almost six months. She worked out with me and lost 6 pounds in her first month. Muscle confusion and changing up is always a good thing.

stephenearllucas

gearhead426hemi wrote: »

You might need to change up your workout routine as well. Your body will get used to what you are eating and your physical activity load. Try to change it up and see if that helps. My wife was set in her ways with her workout videos and she hit a plateau for almost six months. She worked out with me and lost 6 pounds in her first month. Muscle confusion and changing up is always a good thing.

"Changing things up" is good advice.

I would like to seem some definitive evidence of "muscle confusion" causing weight loss.

sijomial

I'm usually a fan of slow weight loss but here's an alternative option is to rapidly lose the 5lbs - short term rapid loss of a small amount of weight shouldn't cause any issues. (Very different to long term rapid loss of a lot of weight BTW.)

A suggestion could be hit it hard Monday to Friday, drop calories, keep protein high and step up your exercise.
Back to your "normal" routine for the weekend.
Hit it hard again Mon-Fri.

middlehaitch

While it is true that our metabolism slows with age, this is due to natural slowing of our activity level.
The slowing of out activity level affects us in 2 ways. (There are probably more that are way to scientific for me)

1) our NEAT is lower because we are moving less.
2) because we move less we lose muscle mass lowering our BMR.

It is easy to remedy the first by increasing our activity level.

Sometimes this can take having to do purposeful exercise instead of all the running around we did in uni, going out dancing the night away, and chasing after children, as well as putting aside all the daily efficiencies we have built up over the years from juggling too much to do with too little time.

Basically, moving more to have your NEAT equal to what it was in your younger days.

The second is harder. It is the gradual atrophy of muscle*. If we are not regularly doing full body movements that tax the muscles in some way, we lose them- and they can take a long long time to re-build. ( says she of the lifelong recomp)

(*think of the amount of women that lose their upper body strength as they age. Often losing the ability to keep their arms above their head long enough to wash and style their hair.)

Increasing our muscle mass back to what it was when we were younger will move our BMR closer to the BMR that we had.
(I personally think there are probably aging factors (decline in hormones) that prevent us from getting a BMR of a 20yo when we are 60 even if our muscle mass is equal)

I ran these numbers for another thread and they may be of interest in this one-

This is using my stats (5'1, 100lbs) maintenance, sedentary, and not putting in a body fat percentage.
There is a general expectation of a lowering of BMR

24 yo = 1369 cals.
34 yo = 1309 cals.
44 yo = 1249 cals.
54 yo = 1189 cals.
64 yo = 1129 cals.

That is a 240 cal decrease over 40 years.

Running those numbers with 25% body fat, what I estimate mine to be, gives 1326 cals across the board. Muscle matters.

That is a heck of a lot of chatter just to say-

You may have a slightly lower TDEE than you think if you are not purposefully working on muscle retention. I know you are walking, but are you doing anything else?

If you haven't, and I am sure you have, run your numbers and check that you are still in a 500 cal deficit.

If you are still in a 500 deficit according to your preferred calculator, even though your real life data is showing you are maintaining, try taking a diet break. A year is a long time to run a deficit. Take 2 weeks off eating 250-500 cals more, then drop back down. This may help mentally and hormonally.

Lastly, as you have said, reviewing and tightening your logging practices won't hurt, we nearly all start using estemates for a few things when we have been logging a long time.

Sorry that was so long. I satvstewing on your problem way too long and kept coming up with variables.

Cheers, h.

Oops, forgot the obvious, when was the last time you had a check up and your blood work run? May not be a bad idea, if only to rule out any medical problems that could be interfering with weight loss or to see if you need to adjust any medications you are taking

nxd10

This is going to sound dumb, but I also realized re-reading this that my problem with gaining those 5 pounds happened when I went from using a fitbit to using an apple watch. In general, the apple watch gives me fewer calories back than fitbit did (sometimes frustratingly so) and WAY fewer than when I logged exercise manually. However, the watch is on my wrist and the fitbit was on my waist. And I play the banjo. A LOT - like several hours a night). I wonder if the calorie 'deficit' I'm on compensates for that difference in exercise measurement (which is why I'm stable but can't lose).

I'm going to try not eating exercise back for a few weeks until I drop the weight and see if I can maintain at a lower level.

And I am weighing food again. The family is moving to a paleo diet and too many carbs always cause my problems (every one of my blood relations has diabetes except me).

Thank you all!

nxd10

Thank you middhaitch. That was also very helpful. My exercise is good and activity are fine - one thing The apple watch is good at is reminding me to get up every hour, hit my steps, and also hit 30 minutes of elevated heart rate activity. But I am sure I am losing muscle mass. I don't do any resistance training and that is supposed to be good for me in more ways than just upping my calorie count.

DebLaBounty

If you have access to a gym, try a yoga or Pilates class. You'll improve your upper body and abdominal (core) strength.

nxd10

I have a chronically ill child and two jobs. Gym
isn't going to work. But I do have weights and my husband teaches tai chi. Tai chi would be a great option. But the suggested strategies must be working because I have been HUNGRY for two days and my scale is moving. . MFP says a month. I can do this.

nxd10

Thanks to all of you. I did follow your good advice. I have lost four pounds in four weeks and it seems to be accelerating. I'm definitely on a steady downward trend again and expect to be back in my target zone by September.

I am still not sure what changed except that I decided I was definitely going to lose the weight. I will guess it's lower carbs on the macros (but still 35%) and maybe 200 fewer calories a day. It just means not grabbing a snack when I work at night.

I am very slightly hungry sometimes - which is what I felt like when I was losing before. I think for me the difference between maintaining at BMI 23 and maintaining at BMI 21-22 is just that slight edge of hunger.

middlehaitch

Aww, nice of you to come back and let us know how things are going.
Sorry you are feeling more hunger than you would like.
Are the cals you will get on your lower weight, once you are finished losing, enough to satisfy you?

Cheers, h.

nxd10

I am actually satisfied, it's just something I notice in background. More specifically, it's something I recognize as 'yes, that's what I feel like when I'm truly on a deficit'. It makes it so that when I'm hungry I know I need to eat NOW. It's important. Once I got to the bottom of my weight range and stick there a few months I'll slowly bring my calories back up.