Should I be eating more??

jamie_lee80

So MFP has my calorie goal around 1800 per day, that has me at sedentary ( I work a desk job) and losing 1 lb per week. I weigh 250 lbs and am 5'7". I work out for at least an hour at the gym every day, cardio 5 days per week and I add in weight training 2 days a week. I typically eat right around 1500 calories per day and I have basically been at a stand still for the past 2 months. I go up and down the same 4 lbs. Its getting frustrating as I still have a lot of weight to lose. I don't know what else to do, my doctor ran full blood work on me and everything is normal (besides the fact that I am a type 1 diabetic) and her recommendation to me was to try a lapband, which is not an option that I want to explore. Should I try to eat my 1800 calories that MFP recommends? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!

BarbieAS

1) Do you measure (preferably weigh) everything you eat?
2) Is that 1500 gross or net? Aka, do you eat back exercise calories?

If you open your diary we can help more.

Mr_Knight

jamiekerr wrote: »

I typically eat right around 1500 calories per day and I have basically been at a stand still for the past 2 months.

You're eating more than you think.

vismal

Mr_Knight wrote: »

jamiekerr wrote: »

I typically eat right around 1500 calories per day and I have basically been at a stand still for the past 2 months.

You're eating more than you think.

Any time people are wondering if they need to eat more to lose weight, this is almost always the case. Please open your diary and let us know if you weigh you food.

Kalikel

If you aren't losing, you need to eat less, not more.

A lot of people report that they have an easier time breaking a plateau if they eat a little more for a few days and then drop back down. You can try it and see how it works for you! But eating more generally leads to weight gain, not loss.

I'd suggest eating less.

fearlessleader104

Eat less, track everything, including your body measurements and report back in 4 weeks

jamie_lee80

I do weigh almost everything. I do not eat back my exercise calories. I have my diary open to friends currently, I'll open it publicly in a minute. I did slack a little on logging over the holiday. Thanks for the advice

skee80

I would probably try reducing calories by 50 per day for a week or two and see if you start to lose again. If your still at a standstill id probably drop 50 cal per day for a week again and keep doing that till you start losing!

slomo22

Judging from 1 day on your diary you are overestimating your exercise calories. You definitely don't burn 170 calories from 10 minutes of elliptical. Your other exercises are probably too high also. Try cutting your exercise calories by 1/2 and see what happens.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

I had a look at your diary and most days you are over your sodium which can make you retain water and the scale wont see any change. also you arent getting enough protein most days. that can help with weight loss as well. but in general I would say its going way over your sodium most of the time.I also agree with slomo22. most machines the calorie burn is usually off by quite a bit(says you burned more than you did). everyone else gave good advice as well.

Liftng4Lis

Start weighing your food. You have half a chicken 510 calories. Where did you get this bird? A Costco chicken is 2640, half of that would be 1320. Chili 359 calories-where did this chili come from, as I counted 3 entries of the exact same calories. Every banana you eat is 90 calories? The average banana is about 128 calories. 100 grams is what 3.52 ounces? Yes these are little things but they add up.
Your question is should you be eating more? To gain weight yes. If you want to lose you need to be in a caloric deficit.

jamie_lee80

I'm going to have to get a scale for work... The chili was homemade, I used the recipe builder. I bring lunch from home 4 out of 5 days. I do not eat back exercise calories ever- I log the exercise in here just to track what I do.

Liftng4Lis

Definitely look into the scale, as others have mentioned the problem is usually with logging. One thing to consider, as someone already mentioned, high sodium foods cause water retention. This in addition to working out EVERY day with no rest day, you're not giving your body a chance to repair; it adds to the water retention.

jamie_lee80

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Definitely look into the scale, as others have mentioned the problem is usually with logging. One thing to consider, as someone already mentioned, high sodium foods cause water retention. This in addition to working out EVERY day with no rest day, you're not giving your body a chance to repair; it adds to the water retention.

Thanks for the advice! I am going to be super dedicated to weighing out everything and see how it goes! Weight loss is a completely different ballgame in my 30's. I barely had to try in my 20's and it would just fall off!

Liftng4Lis

jamiekerr wrote: »

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Definitely look into the scale, as others have mentioned the problem is usually with logging. One thing to consider, as someone already mentioned, high sodium foods cause water retention. This in addition to working out EVERY day with no rest day, you're not giving your body a chance to repair; it adds to the water retention.

Thanks for the advice! I am going to be super dedicated to weighing out everything and see how it goes! Weight loss is a completely different ballgame in my 30's. I barely had to try in my 20's and it would just fall off!

Wait til you hit your 40's this whole thing sucks butt. . . cackling. One last thing, remember to drink a LOT of water (offsets the sodium), also potassium and magnesium. You've got this!

ValGogo

a lap band? Your doctor is an idjit. I am at about 239 and 5'9", about 50-60 lbs more than I'd like but totally fixable. I hate doctors that do that. Watch your logging. It's easy to forget something of miscalculate. Hang in there and start lifting heavy. It's a good way to crank it up.

vismal

High sodium is only going to be an issue if it is inconsistently high. Regular ingestion of high levels of sodium does not mask weight loss. If you regularly eat a lot of sodium, the amount of water you retain would be "normal" for you. Consistently high sodium doesn't cause you to retain more and more water. If you regularly take in 2000 mg a day and than have 5000+ for a day or two, you will retain more water then you usually do, this can mask weight loss. If you eat 5000 mg everyday, it will not cause you to retain any more water than you always do. Also your overall hydration and electrolyte balance can be factors. To make a long story short, sodium is never the cause of long term weight stalls like the OP is having (2 months she said). Stalls like that are almost always caused by eating at maintenance levels of calories.