After only 3 weeks, I've dropped an entire pound!!! Woo Hoo!!
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mangrothian wrote: »This might seem like a weird one to add in, but make sure your scale is 1) electronic & 2) not in need of fresh batteries. Every time my scale's battery level gets low, it tends to not show my losses (or tells me my bf% is at 95 like it did this morning).
Also, check your waist circumference. If you've been exercising, depending on how hard your body will hold onto fluid to protect itself whilst it repairs and strengthens up your joints/muscles/ligaments. Your weight might not go down, but if you're not careful, your pants just might do it spontaneously!
lol I agree completely with this. I haven't lost a pound since I've been focusing on lifting heavier weights, but my body measurements are going down fast.0 -
GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.0 -
purelyprimitives wrote: »From your profile, I see your age. Can you provide your height, current weight and target weight, so that we can check your suggested calorie targets? You're profile page says you have 40 lbs to lose, but your "30 year" comment seems to indicate you have more to lose. Your current weight will affect your intake numbers.
For example, if you are 5'10" and your current weight is 300 lbs, this calculator says you should target about 2060 cals per day to lose 1 lb a week, but if your current weight is 225 lbs, the intake target drops to just over 1700. (These figures are for sedentary activity level)
Keep in mind that these are just starting points. After you've been at it for a few weeks - including accurate weighing and logging - you may find you need to tweak your targets slightly.
And as you lose weight, you'll need to make further adjustments.
Sure! I'm 5'7" and as of this morning, I'm 234 pounds (gained 2 since yesterday). I would like to get down to 175 which is still considered 'overweight' for my height but that's my personal target. The '30 year' comment was not meant to be taken seriously
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I just went to the calculator you suggested. Using the 20% calorie reduction and moderately active settings, I need to eat 2785 cals/day (!) to maintain my weight and 2228 to lose. I'm currently averaging about 1000 cals/day LESS and still not losing. Seriously, if I ate 2785 cals/day I would be as big as a house which is why I don't put much stock in these 'calculators'.
Losing weight is much more complicated than simply plugging some number in a calculator which I'm sure you will agree. We've all known someone who eats like a horse and doesn't gain an ounce. So there has to be more to it than simply counting calories. Or, perhaps we all predestined by our genetics to be the weight we are regardless of our best efforts.
The trouble is the calculators are all over the place and some of them don't fit people who have a lot to lose that well. If you use the calculator here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ (same site, but Mifflin-St Jeor, which I think is better when you have lots to lose), you get a significantly lower number. (And remember MFP is WITHOUT exercise, so you'd use the sedentary setting to get your MFP number.)
If you use Katch-McArdle it's even better, usually, but you have to know bodyfat. You can see how much variation there is by playing around with different bodyfat levels. So I wouldn't think it was terrible to have a lower goal, more like 1800, perhaps.
That doesn't solve the problem, as you are logging less than that, but figuring out the way to choose accurate entries is another part of this that I see you are getting some tips on.0 -
GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
That's a very good point. We eat very little if any prepackaged foods so most of what I eat is freshly made. I've wondered how accurately some things can truly be measured. For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content, some of that fat melts off during the cooking so who know how many calories are actually in the hamburger after it cooked. Do you know what I mean?The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.
Well, I'm averaging 1200 cals/day if I drop that by 500 it might be tough.
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purelyprimitives wrote: »GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
That's a very good point. We eat very little if any prepackaged foods so most of what I eat is freshly made. I've wondered how accurately some things can truly be measured. For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content, some of that fat melts off during the cooking so who know how many calories are actually in the hamburger after it cooked. Do you know what I mean?The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.
Well, I'm averaging 1200 cals/day if I drop that by 500 it might be tough.
Keep averaging 1200 calories a day, do some exercise, weigh yourself, and see where that goes. I doubt that you're calculating inaccurately but instead suspect a temporary water gain. And do make sure that your calorie count is accurate. You can do this!0 -
purelyprimitives wrote: »For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content...
It's pretty rare to find a hamburger patty with that low of a fat content. 20% or 30% is far more common.
Why would you "assume" a number, anyway, it'll be on the label/package.0 -
purelyprimitives wrote: »GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
That's a very good point. We eat very little if any prepackaged foods so most of what I eat is freshly made. I've wondered how accurately some things can truly be measured. For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content, some of that fat melts off during the cooking so who know how many calories are actually in the hamburger after it cooked. Do you know what I mean?The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.
Well, I'm averaging 1200 cals/day if I drop that by 500 it might be tough.
Just log the whole thing. And find the calories or fat % on the package...0 -
purelyprimitives wrote: »GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
That's a very good point. We eat very little if any prepackaged foods so most of what I eat is freshly made. I've wondered how accurately some things can truly be measured. For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content, some of that fat melts off during the cooking so who know how many calories are actually in the hamburger after it cooked. Do you know what I mean?The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.
Well, I'm averaging 1200 cals/day if I drop that by 500 it might be tough.
This is what's called "majoring in the minors". Basically meaning that you're technically right, but its not worth worrying about. Yes, food packaging is +/- 10% calories, but it all balances out in the end. This is why logging as accurately as possible is so important. There's already error built into the system, don't compound that error by being lazy in your logging.
What DOES matter is the results that you're getting. If you're not losing at the rate you want, you need to tweak things. Step one is always, tighten up your logging. No point in dropping calories, etc, if your logging isn't right.0 -
SingRunTing wrote: »purelyprimitives wrote: »GeeWillickers wrote: »You have a lot of homemade meals with calorie totals that are suspect to me based on tracking my own calories for years. Are you weighing every single item going into these recipes?
This. Your "meatloaf sandwich" might be made completely differently than the one you chose out of the database. Unless you're creating your own recipes (easy to do on MFP) or logging each (weighed) ingredient separately, you are not counting your calories accurately at all, which is why you're not losing as much as you expect. It is seriously that simple.
Weigh everything solid on a food scale, measure your liquids (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc.) Don't use "homemade" or generic entries from the database unless you've created them yourself in the recipe builder and you know they're correct. Your sandwich, for example, should be entered using the correct brand and weight of bread, measured condiments, and each ingredient that went into the meatloaf (x ounces of ground beef, x eggs, x grams of breadcrumbs, etc etc.) It's harder at first but becomes very simple with practice.
That's a very good point. We eat very little if any prepackaged foods so most of what I eat is freshly made. I've wondered how accurately some things can truly be measured. For instance, if I grill a 4 oz. fresh hamburger patty on the grill and assuming it has a 15% fat content, some of that fat melts off during the cooking so who know how many calories are actually in the hamburger after it cooked. Do you know what I mean?The other alternative, of course, if you're not going to count calories properly, is to give yourself a much lower deficit (say, 500 or 750 calories lower) and keep estimating, which should give you the same result.
Looking at your logging, it is very obvious that inaccurate counting is the culprit here, not your genetics or your metabolism.
Well, I'm averaging 1200 cals/day if I drop that by 500 it might be tough.
This is what's called "majoring in the minors". Basically meaning that you're technically right, but its not worth worrying about. Yes, food packaging is +/- 10% calories, but it all balances out in the end. This is why logging as accurately as possible is so important. There's already error built into the system, don't compound that error by being lazy in your logging.
What DOES matter is the results that you're getting. If you're not losing at the rate you want, you need to tweak things. Step one is always, tighten up your logging. No point in dropping calories, etc, if your logging isn't right.
This. Because if you're not logging accurately then you are not eating "1200 calories". It could be and likely is much more.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/
If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.
ETA: You might also want to check out this video.0 -
I'm the same height as you, 22, and I was about 235 when I started, I'm down to 213 in about 12 weeks. So that's like 1.5lbs per week, not consistently sometimes more sometimes less. I eat between 1500-1700 a day depending on how active I am. But I know that my calorie count is accurate, at least within 100 calories. If you're not losing weight supposedly eating 300-500 calories less than I am a day, you're not actually eating that little.
If I ate 1200 a day, I'd lose more than 2lbs a week, even without exercise.
Weigh everything, weigh it raw if it's meat, weigh your bread and your vegetables and anything you eat for a month and then see what happens. Read the thread the poster above recommended, I guarantee you'll lose something in a month.
It really is all CICO unless you have a medical issue.0 -
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you have numerous inaccuracies in your logging...i see a whole bunch of generic entries.
use the recipe builder...calorie counting isn't exact, but it does require you to be as accurate as possible most of the time.
you're not losing weight because you are likely eating more than what you are logging.
I'd also recommend a food scale. When I started out, I didn't use one...I would log my chicken breast as 4 ounces because that's what the packaging said was a serving...figured a chicken breast would be a serving...turns out that a whole chicken breast is usually closer to 8 ounces...or two servings. So, I'm logging 1 serving but eating 2.
Nuts was another big one for me...I was logging my handful of nuts as 1 ounce and 160 calories...when I got my scale I realized my handful of nuts was more like 2 ounces +...so again, I was logging 160 calories but eating 220.
there were numerous such items that this occurred for...I spent weeks thinking I was doing everything right...I was logging everything...I just wasn't logging it accurately...and that's kind of important.0 -
I just don't have the lifestyle that allows me to weigh and measure absolutely everything, so recently I decided to basically shoot for a few hundred calories below my deficit on most days. That is what did the trick for me and I am finally losing after a long period of being stuck. MFP recommended 1350 net calories for a 0.5lb deficit and I usually eat around 1150-1200 calories net. It ain't easy, but it is working.0
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britishswenglish wrote: »Don't focus on the number on the scale - weight loss shows itself in different forms, and there are so many variables that go into weighing yourself that it can affect the number shown. For example, the time of day, what you're wearing, how much water you're retaining, etc. all factor into your current weight. If you're exercising it may be that you're gaining weight in muscle at the same time that you're losing weight in fat.
In a few more weeks try on a piece of clothing you haven't worn in a while and see if it fits a bit looser than before. Take a picture of yourself now and one again in two weeks in the same position and see if you notice a difference. On MFP you can also track body measurements such as arm and neck circumference.
Weight loss is a frustrating process at times, and Calorie counting is not for everyone. The most important thing is changing your eating habits for the better. If you stick with it long enough you'll generally feel healthier, and you'll probably notice a difference in how you feel if you slip back into bad eating habits.
If counting Calories is not your thing you could always try a targeted diet that focuses more on what you eat rather than how much of it you eat.
Thanks for that information. Im actually going to start weight training to help tone as I lose weight, and that was one of my worries. I hate not seeing the scale not move, but yes inches off are better than losing pounds.0 -
Your logging is way too generic. "Homemade Pasta and Meat Sauce - 2 cups" for less than 500 calories? Sorry... Considering two cups of cooked pasta is around 450 cals, then either you used a mere tablespoon of sauce or you used someone else's incorrect entry. The recipe builder is super easy to use - just make sure you're choosing correct ingredient entries.0
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OP, I would suggest you consult your doctor. I was at your weight and I'm 5'6" and my goal weight is 190 lbs. I've lost weight consistently for approximately 30 months and am down significantly at a rate of .5lbs/wk. I was eating 1350 cal/day and the progress was non-existent. I asked my doc and he suggested I lower my intake by 100 cal. so now I eat in a range of 1200-1300 and I started losing, although it has been slow. However, people started noticing my transformation way before I did which motivated me to continue and now I'm down 40 lbs. Keep going, it will come off. I work out 5 days and week and am still on my journey, just remember it's a lifestyle change and that will help you continue and stay motivated.0
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Mischievous_Rascal wrote: »Your logging is way too generic. "Homemade Pasta and Meat Sauce - 2 cups" for less than 500 calories? Sorry... Considering two cups of cooked pasta is around 450 cals, then either you used a mere tablespoon of sauce or you used someone else's incorrect entry. The recipe builder is super easy to use - just make sure you're choosing correct ingredient entries.
Message received loud and clear! Going forward I will not be using the default setting but will break everything down by component.
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purelyprimitives wrote: »Mischievous_Rascal wrote: »Your logging is way too generic. "Homemade Pasta and Meat Sauce - 2 cups" for less than 500 calories? Sorry... Considering two cups of cooked pasta is around 450 cals, then either you used a mere tablespoon of sauce or you used someone else's incorrect entry. The recipe builder is super easy to use - just make sure you're choosing correct ingredient entries.
Message received loud and clear! Going forward I will not be using the default setting but will break everything down by component.
It sounds time-consuming, but the recipe builder feature makes it REALLY easy. When you cook your meatloaf, just weigh and add in all of the ingredients, then set the number of portions. When you eat a slice, you can log your own recipe of meatloaf (your recipes will remain there), then add in your weighed bread and weighed condiments.
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Logging is far too inconsistent and that is more than likely your issue.0
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Seconding the recipe builder - it looks a little daunting at first but it's surprisingly user-friendly. And definitely a time-saver if you find yourself making the same meals quite frequently
Good luck! I'm just hopping back aboard the MFP train, myself...0 -
Your logging is all over the place and you're not calculating correctly. Cups aren't accurate, get a food scale.0
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purelyprimitives wrote: »Mischievous_Rascal wrote: »Your logging is way too generic. "Homemade Pasta and Meat Sauce - 2 cups" for less than 500 calories? Sorry... Considering two cups of cooked pasta is around 450 cals, then either you used a mere tablespoon of sauce or you used someone else's incorrect entry. The recipe builder is super easy to use - just make sure you're choosing correct ingredient entries.
Message received loud and clear! Going forward I will not be using the default setting but will break everything down by component.
+1 to the OP! Many folks just don't get this. Glad you've understood the difference between logging and logging accurately.
PS - @Mischievous_Rascal and @rabbitjb know their stuff. You are wise to heed their advice.0 -
I just had another thought to pass by you guys. I went back to the scoobysworkshop calculator and I've attached a pic of the results here. I purposely choose 'desk job' which isn't really that accurate being I am much more active than that.
However, if I'm reading this correctly, the point is according to the calculator in order to maintain my current weight I need to eat 2550 cals/day. I have been basically 'maintaining' my weight for the past 3 weeks which would suggest that I am actually eating 2550 cals/day. Make sense?
I can't believe that I could be that far off per day but we'll see. BTW, I'm at 1072 so far for today which includes my dinner. So I'll need to finish off the day with a 1500 calorie snack
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purelyprimitives wrote: »I just had another thought to pass by you guys. I went back to the scoobysworkshop calculator and I've attached a pic of the results here. I purposely choose 'desk job' which isn't really that accurate being I am much more active than that.
However, if I'm reading this correctly, the point is according to the calculator in order to maintain my current weight I need to eat 2550 cals/day. I have been basically 'maintaining' my weight for the past 3 weeks which would suggest that I am actually eating 2550 cals/day. Make sense?
I can't believe that I could be that far off per day but we'll see. BTW, I'm at 1072 so far for today which includes my dinner. So I'll need to finish off the day with a 1500 calorie snack
Can you check all of your settings/inputs and try again? With your stats, I got 2162 for maintenance, and 1729 to lose 0.9 lb per week.
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Those 30 years are gonna pass anyway (god willing). Most people gain 10 lbs per year. I'd rather lose 10 a year.
Ditto! I gained steadily over a period of 10+ years. I'm okay if I don't lose it overnight. Counting calories, done properly, is not a quick fix, but quick fixes are proven to backfire more often than not, and that's not what I want.
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purelyprimitives wrote: »I went back and reset the activity level to 'desk job' but it still requires me to consume 2046 cals/day to lose 1 pound a week. I really don't know what to do at this point if I'm eating considerable less. I don't know if trying to weight everything more accurately will help or not but I give it a try. Thanks again!
You should read some of the getting started posts. In particular the sexypants one... You may not be eating enough calories in fact, which can set you up for failure long term. You should never eat less than your BMR... And I have also heard you should aim to have your net (after exercise) be above BMR but below TDEE.
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purelyprimitives wrote: »I just had another thought to pass by you guys. I went back to the scoobysworkshop calculator and I've attached a pic of the results here. I purposely choose 'desk job' which isn't really that accurate being I am much more active than that.
However, if I'm reading this correctly, the point is according to the calculator in order to maintain my current weight I need to eat 2550 cals/day. I have been basically 'maintaining' my weight for the past 3 weeks which would suggest that I am actually eating 2550 cals/day. Make sense?
I can't believe that I could be that far off per day but we'll see. BTW, I'm at 1072 so far for today which includes my dinner. So I'll need to finish off the day with a 1500 calorie snack
I wasn't at a computer earlier, so I couldn't take a screenshot. Here is what I get when I enter your stats:
This seems much more reasonable than what you presented, given my own personal stats and experience.
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I don't know if this has been mentioned, but 3 weeks is not enough to judge. If you have started a new workout plan then you may be retaining quite a bit of water. If your plan is to lose 3 pounds in 3 weeks and ended up losing 1, 2 pounds of water weight is not entirely out of the realm of possibility (on particularly bloated days I retain as much as 5).
This is why weight is not the only thing you should measure. Use the measuring tape, how your clothes feel, your fitness progress..etc0 -
Feel free to add me0
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the difference is due to the age entered or not....0
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