Is there more that I can or should be doing?
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annangelich
Posts: 402 Member
Hey all,
I am at a loss here, I feel like I am missing something. I eat at a deficit and exercise 6 days out of 7 burning anywhere from 300-500 calories during. I try my hardest not to eat back any calories I have burned. Sometimes I will eat over back 100 cals or so (never more than 200) and maybe once every few days have a cheat day where I allow myself up to 2000 cals (but it is usually only 100-300 above my cal intake. I am only on day 23, but I feel like I should be or could be doing more.... I have lost .8lbs since I started, I am a notoriously slow loser, as I usually gain a lot of muscle... Is there anything more I should be doing besides diet and exercise?
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Annie
(edited for clarity)
I am at a loss here, I feel like I am missing something. I eat at a deficit and exercise 6 days out of 7 burning anywhere from 300-500 calories during. I try my hardest not to eat back any calories I have burned. Sometimes I will eat over back 100 cals or so (never more than 200) and maybe once every few days have a cheat day where I allow myself up to 2000 cals (but it is usually only 100-300 above my cal intake. I am only on day 23, but I feel like I should be or could be doing more.... I have lost .8lbs since I started, I am a notoriously slow loser, as I usually gain a lot of muscle... Is there anything more I should be doing besides diet and exercise?
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Annie
(edited for clarity)
0
Replies
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Make sure you're measuring/weighing your food so you're accurate on calories. If you haven't already, read the threads locked at the top of the "getting started" section. That helped me a lot!0
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jennifurballs wrote: »Make sure you're measuring/weighing your food so you're accurate on calories. If you haven't already, read the threads locked at the top of the "getting started" section. That helped me a lot!
Literally, this. ^__^
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Usually the answer is: Eat Less / Exercise more. Putting on muscle is a slow process from a biological standpoint, so I doubt that your slow loss is due to adding pounds of muscle.. So back to the answer: Eat Less / Exercise more Simple stuff
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Are you set to lose 1/2 pound a week (250 cals a day deficit)? I could be off base here, but if you are eating 300 cals over your deficit every few days, with as little as you have to lose, you may be eating most of your deficit.0
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Are you set to lose 1/2 pound a week (250 cals a day deficit)? I could be off base here, but if you are eating 300 cals over your deficit every few days, with as little as you have to lose, you may be eating most of your deficit.
That. And stop telling yourself you lose slowly because you gain muscle easily. It takes a lot of work, and NOT eating at a deficit to gain muscle mass. Start thinking on the right track, weighing your food, watching those cheat days.
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If you don't have a food scale, get one along with measuring spoons and cups. Sodium causes water weight so keep an eye on it.0
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OP here...to answer some of your questions.... I do measure my food both on the scale and by the cup (with liquids only). I go by my heart rate monitor for my calories burned. My weight loss so far is not my concern. I do loose weight slowly because I do gain muscle mass, this is true for me because after 12 weeks of a rigorous boot camp fitness I lost 4lbs and dropped 4 pant sizes. It is just too bad I have never stuck with it. I usually see a gain before I see the scale move, but I do see a major difference in they way my clothes fit and my pictures and measurements, and the way I feel. Regardless of all of that... I should have been more clear.
My main question is there anything I am missing, besides diet and exercise? If not, I am on the right track and what more can I do?0 -
annangelich wrote: »Hey all,
I am at a loss here, I feel like I am missing something. I eat at a deficit and exercise 6 days out of 7 burning anywhere from 300-500 calories during. I try my hardest not to eat back any calories I have burned. Sometimes I will eat over back 100 cals or so (never more than 200) and maybe once every few days have a cheat day where I allow myself up to 2000 cals (but it is usually only 100-300 above my cal intake. I am only on day 23, but I feel like I should be or could be doing more.... I have lost .8lbs since I started, I am a notoriously slow loser, as I usually gain a lot of muscle... Is there anything more I should be doing besides diet and exercise?
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Annie
(edited for clarity)
HI Annie.
You've lost .8 pounds in 23 days? Well, that's a start!
If nobody has told you yet, unless you are a very obese newbie, you are not gaining muscle while on a deficit. It just doesn't work that way.
Do you weigh all your solids, measure your liquids, and log every single thing you eat?
You say you sometimes eat some of your exercise calories back. Where do you get the numbers for those burns?
If you are not losing weight, you are not in a calorie deficit. If you ware losing less weight than you want to, then that means your calorie deficit is more than you realize.
Weigh you solids, measure your liquids, and log every single thing you eat, cheat days included.
If you log exercises, don't trust the estimates from MFP, Treadmills/gym machines, or internet sources. In fact, I would suggest logging only about 75% of those numbers if you plan on eating any exercise calories back.
Good luck!
Edited to add:
I didn't see this, where you did answer some questions.OP here...to answer some of your questions.... I do measure my food both on the scale and by the cup (with liquids only). I go by my heart rate monitor for my calories burned. My weight loss so far is not my concern. I do loose weight slowly because I do gain muscle mass, this is true for me because after 12 weeks of a rigorous boot camp fitness I lost 4lbs and dropped 4 pant sizes. It is just too bad I have never stuck with it. I usually see a gain before I see the scale move, but I do see a major difference in they way my clothes fit and my pictures and measurements, and the way I feel. Regardless of all of that... I should have been more clear.
My main question is there anything I am missing, besides diet and exercise? If not, I am on the right track and what more can I do?
The only thing required to lose weight is that you eat at a calorie deficit. Exercise is not essential to weight loss, but it sure does help.
Again, unless you are obese or have a different physiological makeup, a person does not gain muscle while in a deficit. So, if you have not been in a deficit, perhaps you are gaining muscle.
If you've lost enough inches to lose 4 pant sizes, I don't see the problem....?0 -
arditarose wrote: »Are you set to lose 1/2 pound a week (250 cals a day deficit)? I could be off base here, but if you are eating 300 cals over your deficit every few days, with as little as you have to lose, you may be eating most of your deficit.
That. And stop telling yourself you lose slowly because you gain muscle easily. It takes a lot of work, and NOT eating at a deficit to gain muscle mass. Start thinking on the right track, weighing your food, watching those cheat days.
Yep. Spot on.
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annangelich wrote: »Hey all,
I am at a loss here, I feel like I am missing something. I eat at a deficit and exercise 6 days out of 7 burning anywhere from 300-500 calories during. I try my hardest not to eat back any calories I have burned. Sometimes I will eat over back 100 cals or so (never more than 200) and maybe once every few days have a cheat day where I allow myself up to 2000 cals (but it is usually only 100-300 above my cal intake. I am only on day 23, but I feel like I should be or could be doing more.... I have lost .8lbs since I started, I am a notoriously slow loser, as I usually gain a lot of muscle... Is there anything more I should be doing besides diet and exercise?
Your help and advice is much appreciated.
Annie
(edited for clarity)
HI Annie.
You've lost .8 pounds in 23 days? Well, that's a start!
If nobody has told you yet, unless you are a very obese newbie, you are not gaining muscle while on a deficit. It just doesn't work that way.
Do you weigh all your solids, measure your liquids, and log every single thing you eat?
You say you sometimes eat some of your exercise calories back. Where do you get the numbers for those burns?
If you are not losing weight, you are not in a calorie deficit. If you ware losing less weight than you want to, then that means your calorie deficit is more than you realize.
Weigh you solids, measure your liquids, and log every single thing you eat, cheat days included.
If you log exercises, don't trust the estimates from MFP, Treadmills/gym machines, or internet sources. In fact, I would suggest logging only about 75% of those numbers if you plan on eating any exercise calories back.
Good luck!
Edited to add:
I didn't see this, where you did answer some questions.OP here...to answer some of your questions.... I do measure my food both on the scale and by the cup (with liquids only). I go by my heart rate monitor for my calories burned. My weight loss so far is not my concern. I do loose weight slowly because I do gain muscle mass, this is true for me because after 12 weeks of a rigorous boot camp fitness I lost 4lbs and dropped 4 pant sizes. It is just too bad I have never stuck with it. I usually see a gain before I see the scale move, but I do see a major difference in they way my clothes fit and my pictures and measurements, and the way I feel. Regardless of all of that... I should have been more clear.
My main question is there anything I am missing, besides diet and exercise? If not, I am on the right track and what more can I do?
The only thing required to lose weight is that you eat at a calorie deficit. Exercise is not essential to weight loss, but it sure does help.
Again, unless you are obese or have a different physiological makeup, a person does not gain muscle while in a deficit. So, if you have not been in a deficit, perhaps you are gaining muscle.
If you've lost enough inches to lose 4 pant sizes, I don't see the problem....?
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if you're Only 23 days In your muscles could be retaining water due to your new routine. In a few more weeks any water retention should resolve itself and possibly show you a nice drop on the scale. Keep it up since what you're doing seems to be sustainable and working for you. You mentioned not being able to stick with the boot camp so just try to make sure that whatever you're doing diet or exercise wise is something you either enjoy, or at least could tolerate doing long term. Keep weighing as much as possible on the food scale it will really help you drop the lbs as you go due to accurate logging0
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Sorry, it is extremely difficult for a woman, let alone one in deficit to gain muscle. (exception of newbie gains). You are either, a. eating more than you think (weigh and measure), or b. retaining water. You have very little to lose, so the logging becomes more important.0
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You shouldnt be at a loss to what you can do. Read your text:
"I try my hardest not to eat back any calories I have burned" - trying one's hardest doesnt equal weight loss. Calorie deficit = weight loss
"Sometimes I will eat over back 100 cals or so (never more than 200) and maybe once every few days have a cheat day where I allow myself up to 2000 cals" - doesnt seem that you have enough control to be honest.0
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