Please Help, I am TOTALLY confused! Calorie Deficit

diaryofaskinnygirl

How honest is your dietician?

Is she actually saying that she believes you when you say you are eating at a 400-500 calorie per day deficit, but that this won't work because you need to reduce sugar or is she really bad at confrontation and doesn't actually believe your numbers so is saying cut down on candy as it seems like a good idea given your particular macro's.

Assuming this has been a consistent and long term lack of weight loss, then if what you were saying was correct this would make you a special snowflake who is somehow beating biology as your body isn't functioning the way any normal persons does. This seems unlikely.

Normal advice would be, if you have 400 cals deficit you could be overestimating TDEE and underestimating food intake and thereby cancelling out your deficit through miscalculation. How accurate do you think you are and what adjustments have you made to try to counter your lack of weight loss. You may be right on the numbers with your calculators but they can only be worked on averages and everyone is different. Real time adjustments are often needed in order to get to what works for you.

I think however that throwing out the calories in calories out theory and going for just better macro's may be a little pre-emptive at this stage. Better macro's can't be a bad thing though so maybe try adjusting them a little and playing with your calorie count too. See if that works!!

I don't know why she would lie about the calories not being important. She knows that I am a strict calorie counter and she is trying to get me to actually stop being so regimented with counting and weighing everything.

It's not that I eat candy, but she thinks that the cereals I eat are too sugary, and I use maple syrup and golden syrup in my porridge and things like that. She thinks that the sugar is unnecessary.

diaryofaskinnygirl

Has anyone looked at her pics maybe she isn't loosing because she is at a healthy weight and her body is resisting.

I was going to say exactly this....

I think maybe where your dietician is going is body composition...which it does matter what you put in your body. Strictly fat loss is law of thermodynamics and that's just straight up science. If she doesn't believe in that, then she sucks. But really, I think she's just trying to get you to focus on body comp.

Eat more nutrient dense foods...tiny deficit of TDEE...do some resistance work and moderate cardio.

Yes this is true, she is more concerned with Body Fat rather than weight. She calculated my body fat as 20%, using the electronic machine that sends electric signals through your body. I'm not sure how accurate that is.

michellechawner

You need to fuel your body in a way it can relate...

I can eat 100 calories in sugar and not operate well, or I can eat 100 calories of protein and use it as fuel.

If you are already close to normal weight now it's going to get harder. Your body is saying "please stop - I'm already at a healthy size." Small macro changes won't be a big deal either. You've done fine up until now with the 50/25/25 ratio.

BarbellApprentice

Has anyone looked at her pics maybe she isn't loosing because she is at a healthy weight and her body is resisting.

I was going to say exactly this....

I think maybe where your dietician is going is body composition...which it does matter what you put in your body. Strictly fat loss is law of thermodynamics and that's just straight up science. If she doesn't believe in that, then she sucks. But really, I think she's just trying to get you to focus on body comp.

Eat more nutrient dense foods...tiny deficit of TDEE...do some resistance work and moderate cardio.

^^ This. The last few pounds really are the most difficult so it can take a while. Also, make sure your logging everything accurately. I usually set my calorie goal a little bit lower than what I actually aim for to try and catch the margin of error.

Bekahmardis

I'm also confused. My BMR and TDEE are between 2700-2800 respectively. My MFP calorie limit each day is 1310. I'm consuming around 1400 calories instead which consists of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and replacement shakes that are organic and/or raw. I train with a personal trainer 3 nights a week for thirty minutes and walk or bike all other days for 30 mins. I have been doing this for two weeks. Does this seem like a good balance? The more I read the more lost I am!!!

First off, you BMR and TDEE should be significantly different and not that close together. TDEE for even a sedentary desk-job worker is 20% above BMR, and that's before doing any added exercise. Are you sure you calculated your numbers correctly?

Second, if your TDEE is 2800 and you're eating 1400, that's probably too great of a difference and you may be putting your body into "starvation mode" and lowering your metabolism (and BMR and TDEE) in the process.

My suggestion, and I have no professional training on this, would be to recalculate your TDEE (it'll be different, remember, on exercise days vs rest days, either average them, or go with rest day numbers and eat back your calories on exercise days) and try setting your goal at about 80% of that (which should be just about what your BMR is). Try that for a couple of weeks and see if it doesn't work better for you.

I agree with this one. my BMR is 1205 and my TDEE at sedentary is 1436. There's an issue here, perhaps it's the definitions that are confusing you?

deksgrl

I'm also confused. My BMR and TDEE are between 2700-2800 respectively.

This doesn't sound right, where did you get those numbers?

TeaBea

I'm also confused. My BMR and TDEE are between 2700-2800 respectively. My MFP calorie limit each day is 1310. I'm consuming around 1400 calories instead which consists of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and replacement shakes that are organic and/or raw. I train with a personal trainer 3 nights a week for thirty minutes and walk or bike all other days for 30 mins. I have been doing this for two weeks. Does this seem like a good balance? The more I read the more lost I am!!!

Um .... no

You basal metabolic rate is if you stayed in bed all day .... your total daily expenditure is your activity level PLUS exercise.

Unless you stay in bed all day (as your activity level) and use (I dunno) sit up and read as your exercise (I'm sure truning pages burns a few calories) .....your TDEE is certainly more than 100 calories higher than your BMR

MFP does "math" ..... you put in "I want to lose X pounds per week" .... and MFP gives you some number that is at least 1200. MFP asks that you add exercise back in & eat those calories as well.

It's not what you eat to lose weight (an all Twinkie diet would work) ..... however, your body composition ..... fat to muscle .... that's what you eat (AND losing weight at a reasonable pace). Fast weight loss results in more muscle loss.

ThinLizzie0802

TYPO: My BMR is 1845. My TDEE is 2911. My calorie suggestion by MFP is 1310. My activity level is moderate. 5 days a week for 30 mins, three days circuit training with a trainer, 2 days walking or biking moderately for 30 mins.

cmriverside

All I read was the first post because I'm sure you got....

1. Your Dietician is a quack.
2. You can eat all Twinkies and lose weight if you are at a deficit.

I'm not sure I would agree with either of those. But it is better in the long run to get fruits and vegetables into your plan. They provide needed micronutrients that make weight loss easier.

That said, you look to be at a healthy weight, You are going to have to resort to extremely good nutrition and exercise to "fool" your body into letting go of extra fat.

You may be where you need to be. Don't stress it so much.

chandanista

I would suggest that at 20% body fat, age 19, you are in the healthy range and stressing way too much.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcharts.htm

deksgrl

TYPO: My BMR is 1845. My TDEE is 2911. My calorie suggestion by MFP is 1310. My activity level is moderate. 5 days a week for 30 mins, three days circuit training with a trainer, 2 days walking or biking moderately for 30 mins.

Okay, what did you tell MFP for activity level, sedentary? If you do not lay in bed all day then you are not sedentary. Choose at least "lightly active" even if you sit at your job all day. This activity level you put in MFP is for your regular daily activities, work, school, shopping, cooking, cleaning, running after kids, walking around doing errands.

stepyogameup

She's right, all calories are not equal. The last few pounds are the hardest. If you really need to lose a few more lbs of fat, cut out sugar and lower your carbs a bit (unless you're active, then I'd just watch the types of carbs you're eating). Eat more vegetables! Eat lots of protein and don't shy away from fats, they won't make you fat. Eat as clean as possible and drink lots of water.

diaryofaskinnygirl

She's right, all calories are not equal. The last few pounds are the hardest. If you really need to lose a few more lbs of fat, cut out sugar and lower your carbs a bit (unless you're active, then I'd just watch the types of carbs you're eating). Eat more vegetables! Eat lots of protein and don't shy away from fats, they won't make you fat. Eat as clean as possible and drink lots of water.

No... What are calories? They are a unit of energy. Your body uses energy. If you put in the same amount of energy as you burn(eat at your TDEE) you won't lose weight. For your body to lose mass, it needs to consume less calories than it burns. (be in a calorie deficit). Sugar, protein, carbs, fats whatever.... all have calories, eat less of them and you will lose weight.

You can't create eat at a deficit and some how make it make MORE energy... that's not possible. For example if you eat 10 calories of sugar it isn't going to magically turn in to 20 calories of sugar. 10 calories is 10 calories.

If this is the case, do you think my dietician is totally wrong? What would be another explanation for not losing weight?

MindyG150

Listen to your dietician - what you eat matters. The quality of the fuel you put into your body matters. Follow her advice, try balancing your macros for a month, try it. The proof is in just giving it a shot. I didn't believe it either, until I tried it. There are a lot of different ways a body can look at a certain weight and when the clothes come off, the toned and lean and strong physiques are not usually an accident. Choose your own path but personally, I would rather be fit and toned than simply "thin" - there are some very flabby thin people out there and that's where the diet and exercise comes in beyond simply losing pounds.

Well said, and very good advice.

diaryofaskinnygirl

She's right, all calories are not equal. The last few pounds are the hardest. If you really need to lose a few more lbs of fat, cut out sugar and lower your carbs a bit (unless you're active, then I'd just watch the types of carbs you're eating). Eat more vegetables! Eat lots of protein and don't shy away from fats, they won't make you fat. Eat as clean as possible and drink lots of water.

No... What are calories? They are a unit of energy. Your body uses energy. If you put in the same amount of energy as you burn(eat at your TDEE) you won't lose weight. For your body to lose mass, it needs to consume less calories than it burns. (be in a calorie deficit). Sugar, protein, carbs, fats whatever.... all have calories, eat less of them and you will lose weight.

You can't create eat at a deficit and some how make it make MORE energy... that's not possible. For example if you eat 10 calories of sugar it isn't going to magically turn in to 20 calories of sugar. 10 calories is 10 calories.

If this is the case, do you think my dietician is totally wrong? What would be another explanation for not losing weight?

Wrong for the most part... You know what the problem is? Your TDEE isn't what you think it is. You use some calculator online and assume it's 100% accurate. It's not... It can be highly inaccurate.

What I would do if I was you is eat TDEE - 10%. Do that for a month, if you get no results subtract another 10% from what you're eating. wait a month still no results? Take away another 10%.

ETA: I was going through your pictures, I remember you. Wasn't a guy saying mean things to you in email or something?

Hmm I find it so hard to calculate TDEE, all the calculators give me different numbers!

And yep, that's me! That experience didn't exactly give me a confidence boost But I'm still here!

diaryofaskinnygirl

She's right, all calories are not equal. The last few pounds are the hardest. If you really need to lose a few more lbs of fat, cut out sugar and lower your carbs a bit (unless you're active, then I'd just watch the types of carbs you're eating). Eat more vegetables! Eat lots of protein and don't shy away from fats, they won't make you fat. Eat as clean as possible and drink lots of water.

No... What are calories? They are a unit of energy. Your body uses energy. If you put in the same amount of energy as you burn(eat at your TDEE) you won't lose weight. For your body to lose mass, it needs to consume less calories than it burns. (be in a calorie deficit). Sugar, protein, carbs, fats whatever.... all have calories, eat less of them and you will lose weight.

You can't create eat at a deficit and some how make it make MORE energy... that's not possible. For example if you eat 10 calories of sugar it isn't going to magically turn in to 20 calories of sugar. 10 calories is 10 calories.

If this is the case, do you think my dietician is totally wrong? What would be another explanation for not losing weight?

Wrong for the most part... You know what the problem is? Your TDEE isn't what you think it is. You use some calculator online and assume it's 100% accurate. It's not... It can be highly inaccurate.

What I would do if I was you is eat TDEE - 10%. Do that for a month, if you get no results subtract another 10% from what you're eating. wait a month still no results? Take away another 10%.

ETA: I was going through your pictures, I remember you. Wasn't a guy saying mean things to you in email or something?

Hmm I find it so hard to calculate TDEE, all the calculators give me different numbers!

And yep, that's me! That experience didn't exactly give me a confidence boost But I'm still here!

The most accurate method I can give you, one i created...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975696-advanced-fat-loss-tactics-must-know-your-bodyfat

You need to know your bodyfat to use that calculator... So i recommend viewing these pictures and just estimate your body fat based off these pictures...




you're a pretty girl, don't worry about what that guy said. Sometimes people are just jealous and just hate. He might thought you where so pretty that he just couldn't take it and tried to offend you. To feel more powerful. Don't stress it.

Thank you for the image! I've been told that I have 20% body fat by my dietician, but I love the look of the 15-17% body fat woman in the image.

And thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it. I found it hard to come to terms with the fact that what he said probably wasn't true! Some people find pleasure in tearing others down.