Working Out/Eating Recommended Cals = Not Losing

whitneymotley

I've been eating 1,300 cals/day and working out 5 times a week (30 mins on the treadmill at max incline with speed 3-4 mph = about 300 cals) for months and have not lost, if anything I've gained a few lbs. I'm not sure what I need to do to start losing. I'm 5'7" and 148, with a goal of 135. A few months ago, I was down to 138, and with nothing changed in my diet/exercise, I seemed to have gained. I've looked at other calorie count sites to see what their recommend cals are, and some suggest higher ranges. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions?

WBB55

Are you weighing your foods on a digital scale?

whitneymotley

No, I don't have a food scale. But I have tried to be pretty accurate in my logging. I will measure things like cereals, etc. by cup and get pretty exact counts on things like pieces of fruit, crackers, etc. I cook dinners most nights and create recipes on the site with the recipe tool.

madhatter2013

whitneymotley wrote: »

No, I don't have a food scale.

Here's your problem. You're likely eating more than you think.

WBB55

You simply cannot be accurate without a scale. Cereals are notoriously "settled" by the time they get to your bowl. Digital scales are cheap. A banana can weigh anywhere from 80-200 grams. I highly recommend it.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

Also, if you are eating back your exercise calories, that may be contributing. The burns they estimate are usually high.

heytherejune

Very very very likely that you're not logging correctly (I think everyone goes through this phase) - see sticky post:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

Most of the treadmills overestimate calorie expenditure (although better than elliptical machines). There are many variables that makes it hard to measure how much calorie you have burned. Just to be on the safe side, log 60~70% of what the machines/formulas say.

diannethegeek

1. Get a food scale and start weighing your food. Measuring cups/spoons are great, but a food scale will be more accurate. Every little bit helps when you aren't losing.
2. Cut your calorie burns from exercise in half if you're using MFP or gym machine estimates.
3. Recalculate your goals if you haven't in a while: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
4. Stay consistent. Make sure you're logging everything, every day. Those little cheats can add up.
5. If you still aren't losing after 3-4 weeks then it may be time to check in with your doc.

strong_curves

This video explains why cups may not be as accurate as a food scale.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

janjunie

There is no way you are burning 300 calories at that incline, time and speed. I do the same on the treadmill for about 20 minutes and I log about an 80 calorie burn

petitehealth

diannethegeek wrote: »

1. Get a food scale and start weighing your food. Measuring cups/spoons are great, but a food scale will be more accurate. Every little bit helps when you aren't losing.
2. Cut your calorie burns from exercise in half if you're using MFP or gym machine estimates.
3. Recalculate your goals if you haven't in a while: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
4. Stay consistent. Make sure you're logging everything, every day. Those little cheats can add up.
5. If you still aren't losing after 3-4 weeks then it may be time to check in with your doc.

Ditto! I also suggest using a heart rate monitor for an accurate assessment of calories burned. I use the Polar H7. Good luck! Check back in with us after a month of these changes

whitneymotley

Thanks! I definitely see the point of inaccurate logging and I can see my calculations not being accurate. I think the thing that stumps me the most here is that I am consistent with the logging (so probably consistently inaccurate logging), but what I've been eating and the exercise I've been doing hasn't changed, and the scale has.

I will work on getting a good scale and heart rate monitor! Thanks again, everyone!

SaffronSunrise

I think you'll see a big difference once you start weighing. It;s a bit of a pain, at first, but it'll become habit in no time!! I actually catch myself weighing the ingredients when I'm feeding my dog.

strong_curves

janjunie wrote: »

There is no way you are burning 300 calories at that incline, time and speed. I do the same on the treadmill for about 20 minutes and I log about an 80 calorie burn

2nd

Carnivor0us

If you get that scale and still find that there are some issues, you might want to adjust your macros.