Eating right & excersing, but gaining weight

bwogilvie

Aviva92 wrote: »

bwogilvie wrote: »

Hey, if everyone in this thread would take a deep breath and pause for a moment, here is an interesting, relevant fact: a 2005 report from the Institute of Medicine noted that observational studies (not estimates) showed that the average male between the ages of 19 and 50 expended over 3,000 calories a day. The average female in the same age bracket expended over 2,400 calories a day. (Source: Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics [Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012], p. 80, table 12, summarizing the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy [Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2005].)

Given these figures, and what people report eating, it might seem surprising that there's an obesity problem at all. The reason there is, as Nestle and Nesheim also point out, is that most people significantly underestimate their calorie intake, as many studies have shown, to the point where a number of prominent researchers have suggested that it is time to stop using self-reported energy intake in scientific research, because it is so bad.

My takeaway is that it's best to be consistent in how you log, even if it's not accurate, and to adjust your goal downward until you achieve reasonable weight loss without excessive deprivation. Don't put too much reliance on the actual numbers.

but isn't the average person overweight? This is circular. It's more interesting to hear what the average person within a healthy weight expends.

I had thought about that. But my conclusion is that no, it's not, because this is a question of observed expenditure vs. reported intake. People report that they're eating less than measurements indicate that they expend, but they're overweight and slowly gaining. That's the real takeaway: we are very bad at estimating how many calories we eat, and we think we're eating fewer.

Even if a person at a normal weight is expending 15-20% fewer calories than those averages, it's likely that she or he thinks they're eating even fewer.

It's also possible that people who use a site like MFP are more aware of their caloric needs than the average person. But based on forum discussions, I'm certain that's not true in every case!

PeachyCarol

spunmommy wrote: »

If you're honestly and accurately logging your food for 2 months you should have more than enough data to make some educated tweaks to your diet and see if you can get the scale moving again. Look at your eating week to week, look at what you're eating and see if you see a trend some where. I was feeling like crap and noticed I'd had fewer than 55 grams of carbs for 3 days in a row, I added a few berries and some sweet potato back into the rotation and poof, headaches gone.

You are an experiment of one. What works for other people may not work for you. If the same thing that always worked isn't working anymore, try something different.

I'm going to repeat this, because this is sound advice. I need to tweak my carbs to feel satisfied too.

The OP does seem resistant to things that will help her like more accurate measuring, though.

psuLemon

tedboosalis7 wrote: »

I can't wait to post my results of my physical. Everyone around me as a true support system is excited because it's due to eating real food. REAL FOOD!!!! AAAHAHAHAHA

I would also like to point out, that every single person that losing weight, regardless of method, will improve their health markers. If I can dig up my other bloodwork from the past 3 years, i will post it, but they have improved every year.

BTW, we also eat real food. If you don't believe me, look at my diary or any other person's diary in this thread.