Exercise/Calorie Goals: Feeling A Little Lost

Domicinator

Since May 1, 2015, I've had my MFP calorie goal set to 1500 calories a day (2 lbs. a week), and have been either walking, biking, or doing the elliptical daily. This was fine up until about 2 weeks ago. I was getting by just fine on 1500 a day, and the cardio was giving me some wiggle room to eat a little more. And I was definitely losing at the rate MFP said I should be losing. In fact, I think it averages out to a little faster than MFP says I should be losing for some reason. Here are the problems I've had lately though:

1. Over the last 2 or 3 weeks, I have noticed that 1500 calories a day doesn't seem to be enough anymore. I pay very close attention to whether my hunger is just me wanting to eat or if I'm actually hungry--this is hunger. By the time dinner rolls around, I can definitely tell that I have not eaten enough during the day and that the 500 calories I have left in my budget for the day isn't going to do it. This is different than how it was before. On 1500 calories a day, I was totally fine at the end of the day as long as I ate a decent dinner and got some exercise to give me some more room to eat.

2. Cardio is not as effective as it used to be. I know this is because I'm in better shape now and 30 minutes on the bike isn't going to do me as much good as it used to. The problem is that because it's not doing as much good as it used to do, I'm not very motivated to do it. I LOVE riding my bike, so if the weather is good, I'll go out on my bike and just do it because it's fun. But if the weather is not good, I will not get on the elliptical. And if my legs feel dead from the previous day's bike ride, I skip exercise altogether.

I'm not sure how to explain it, but I feel a bit lost. I have upped my calorie goal to 1.5 lbs. a week instead of 2 lbs. a week so that I can take in a couple hundred more calories a day. I know the exercise isn't as important as the food, but I feel like by cutting back on the exercise and upping my calories, I have somehow failed. My weight loss has slowed way down, I'm hungry all the time, and I don't feel like exercising. This feels like a failure waiting to happen, and I'm only 20 lbs. away from my goal.

Would love some advice or insight--is this normal when you start getting close to goal weight? For anyone who wants to know, I'm 5'11", male, started out at 249 lbs. and am now at 195 lbs. I'd like to get down to 175.

Mezzie1024

The closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to create a deficit that helps you lose fast and is satisfying. Honestly, if I were you, I'd up my calories to 0.5/week (or at *most* 1/week). That isn't failure, that's adjusting to a realistic goal. You've lost weight and only have 20 to lose now; you simply cannot make as large a deficit as before and not feel hungry (maybe someone out there can, but it isn't me, and it doesn't seem to be you).

Regarding exercise, maybe you're just bored. Try out some new activities and see what you like.

You may also consider a diet break. Take a couple weeks at maintenance (keep logging -- you don't want to go backwards), only exercise when you feel like it, and then renew your efforts when that break is over (but with a reasonable calorie deficit). It can do wonders for the tired body and mind.

You've done well and you're close to your goal. It's normal to feel a little exhausted/bored, especially if you're trying to maintain a 750 calorie deficit. Take it easy.

jemhh

To me, it sounds like you need a bit of a diet break. And then I'd come back with a 1lb/wk goal. Here's info on diet breaks:

Diet breaks
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
* http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/

Domicinator

Mezzie1024 wrote: »

The closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to create a deficit that helps you lose fast and is satisfying. Honestly, if I were you, I'd up my calories to 0.5/week (or at *most* 1/week). That isn't failure, that's adjusting to a realistic goal. You've lost weight and only have 20 to lose now; you simply cannot make as large a deficit as before and not feel hungry (maybe someone out there can, but it isn't me, and it doesn't seem to be you).

Regarding exercise, maybe you're just bored. Try out some new activities and see what you like.

You may also consider a diet break. Take a couple weeks at maintenance (keep logging -- you don't want to go backwards), only exercise when you feel like it, and then renew your efforts when that break is over (but with a reasonable calorie deficit). It can do wonders for the tired body and mind.

You've done well and you're close to your goal. It's normal to feel a little exhausted/bored, especially if you're trying to maintain a 750 calorie deficit. Take it easy.

I think you're right on the boredom, at least as far as exercise. I still love riding my bike, but I do NOT have a desire to walk or do the elliptical. I'm a bit limited due to two bulging discs in my lower back and am doing PT twice a week at the moment, so I'm also trying not to do anything to aggravate that situation.

Upping my calorie intake is the way to go for sure I think. It just feels so wrong.

Domicinator

jemhh wrote: »

To me, it sounds like you need a bit of a diet break. And then I'd come back with a 1lb/wk goal. Here's info on diet breaks:

Diet breaks
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
* http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/

Thanks!

jemhh

Domicinator wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

To me, it sounds like you need a bit of a diet break. And then I'd come back with a 1lb/wk goal. Here's info on diet breaks:

Diet breaks
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
* http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet-break/

Thanks!

Sure thing. There are different ways to do diet breaks. When I've done them, I just set my calorie goal to maintain and then kept logging as usual and ate according to that. I've never gained any weight at all while on a 1 week diet break. It's not abnormal to gain a pound or two, which generally disappears very quickly once you start losing again, but you certainly should not worry about ruining your momentum or anything like that.

Maxematics

Yes, it's normal. I started out here again at the end of June at 139 pounds with a goal weight of 120. By the middle of August I was already 126 pounds. I was on a 2 pound per week loss like you and eating 1200 calories per day. I had crazy amounts of energy and I would workout sometimes up to three times per day. I felt on top of the world. Sometimes I'd have trouble making calories or eating back workout calories so I would only net 800 calories instead of 1200. Sounds great with those huge deficits, right? Except by the end of August something felt off. I was 123.2 pounds but one day I was just ravenous and no amount of food satisfied me. I always saw the MFP suggestion that someone with less weight to lose should only aim for half a pound per week. I always thought "Nah, I'm stronger than that. More focused. I don't need to go that slowly." After that day of ravenous hunger, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw all the weight I lost and I said "Yeah, it's time to do half a pound per week now." Instead of eating 1200 calories a day even with exercise, I'm now eating around 1600 to 1900 per day with exercise. I was so worried for the first week thinking I was going to gain weight. I just weighed in yesterday and I'm 121.2 pounds. I was shocked. The guilt of eating more the whole week made me think I'd gain weight back and I didn't. Listen to your body. You're so close to your goal now and have made so much progress. Time to up your calories so you preserve muscle and lose fat at a slower rate.

kathrynjean_

Domicinator wrote: »

Upping my calorie intake is the way to go for sure I think. It just feels so wrong.

I know it can definitely feel counterintuitive, but try to reframe it as making the process more sustainable. You're in this for the long run!

Congrats on all of your success so far!

Domicinator

synacious wrote: »

Yes, it's normal. I started out here again at the end of June at 139 pounds with a goal weight of 120. By the middle of August I was already 126 pounds. I was on a 2 pound per week loss like you and eating 1200 calories per day. I had crazy amounts of energy and I would workout sometimes up to three times per day. I felt on top of the world. Sometimes I'd have trouble making calories or eating back workout calories so I would only net 800 calories instead of 1200. Sounds great with those huge deficits, right? Except by the end of August something felt off. I was 123.2 pounds but one day I was just ravenous and no amount of food satisfied me. I always saw the MFP suggestion that someone with less weight to lose should only aim for half a pound per week. I always thought "Nah, I'm stronger than that. More focused. I don't need to go that slowly." After that day of ravenous hunger, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw all the weight I lost and I said "Yeah, it's time to do half a pound per week now." Instead of eating 1200 calories a day even with exercise, I'm now eating around 1600 to 1900 per day with exercise. I was so worried for the first week thinking I was going to gain weight. I just weighed in yesterday and I'm 121.2 pounds. I was shocked. The guilt of eating more the whole week made me think I'd gain weight back and I didn't. Listen to your body. You're so close to your goal now and have made so much progress. Time to up your calories so you preserve muscle and lose fat at a slower rate.

Thank you so much--your story sounds exactly like what's happening to me right now. Time to dial it back a bit and adjust to what my body is telling me.

Liftng4Lis

I agree with the diet break. I take one every 6 months and very much enjoy them. Additionally, when you come back, why not try setting yourself to 1 pound a week for a couple of months?

Domicinator

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I agree with the diet break. I take one every 6 months and very much enjoy them. Additionally, when you come back, why not try setting yourself to 1 pound a week for a couple of months?

Yeah--I think I'm going to try the 1.5 lb. thing this week and if that doesn't feel right, I'll go to 1 lb. next week. It's going against everything my brain is telling me right now, but I just have to do it. Being this hungry all the time is not good for me, and not normal.

Domicinator

Another observation on this: I really do think I've been losing muscle for the last couple of weeks. My first indication was a few days ago--I noticed that my average speed while biking had dropped by a couple of miles an hour, so I started giving myself some breaks here and there by taking days off. When I would get back on the bike, my legs would still be dead from two days ago.

Also, I have about a half mile stretch of my normal route where I can shift up into my top gear and get a pretty good head of steam going--I always look at it as a reward for the 10 minutes of uphill riding I just did. For the last week, I have hardly been able to pedal at all in that gear. My legs just feel dead with that much resistance in the gears.

Today has been my first day of being nudged up to 1700 calories, and it's already going better. Not only have I been able to eat a little more, but I also had a lot more energy by the time I got on my bike. (I work from home, so I usually go out during my lunch break.) I think this is definitely the right move, both mentally and physically.

ewhip17

I've been in that spot exactly. Spent a long time eating too little and just doing cardio. Reached a point where I just couldn't do it anymore. My body and brain were both saying "hey bud, something's gotta change here". I slowly upped my calories and was shocked to see that I could still lose weight on numbers that I never thought possible. Gradually added in strength training and eased my cardio back a bit and realized just how much muscle I had lost. It was alarming.
Long story short (sort of....), after about 6 months of eating more and mixing strength and cardio, the results I've seen in that time period have been dramatic. I'm so much happier now than I was and I feel a million times better. I did take a "maintenance" break for a while at the beginning of this new phase. It lasted about a month and I think it was exactly what my body needed. But I still tracked absolutely everything.
Oh, and I have back issues as well so it can be done.
Just my two cents - hope it helps...

lynn_glenmont

Domicinator wrote: »

Another observation on this: I really do think I've been losing muscle for the last couple of weeks. My first indication was a few days ago--I noticed that my average speed while biking had dropped by a couple of miles an hour, so I started giving myself some breaks here and there by taking days off. When I would get back on the bike, my legs would still be dead from two days ago.

Also, I have about a half mile stretch of my normal route where I can shift up into my top gear and get a pretty good head of steam going--I always look at it as a reward for the 10 minutes of uphill riding I just did. For the last week, I have hardly been able to pedal at all in that gear. My legs just feel dead with that much resistance in the gears.

Today has been my first day of being nudged up to 1700 calories, and it's already going better. Not only have I been able to eat a little more, but I also had a lot more energy by the time I got on my bike. (I work from home, so I usually go out during my lunch break.) I think this is definitely the right move, both mentally and physically.

Of course you're losing muscle. Even at a slow rate of loss, with adequate protein, and strength training (resistance exercise/weight lifting), it's almost impossible not to lose at least a little muscle, and you've continued to demand that your body pull 1000 calories a day (= 2 pounds a week goal), or possibly closer to 1500 calories (=the nearly 3 pounds a week you've actually lost since May) from your energy reserves (i.e., your fat, muscles, and other LBM). Under ideal conditions (which don't exist in real life), you'd need at least 17% body fat to sustain a 1000 calorie a day deficit at your current weight (your body can recover 30 calories per pound of fat per day), and at least 25% body fat to sustain a 1500 calorie deficit at your current weight. I'm not an expert on body fat in guys, but my impression is that at 5'11 and 195 lbs, you're unlikely to have 25% body fat. And, as I said, those are max amounts of energy from fat under ideal conditions.

callsitlikeiseeit

ive lost 70 since january and had to adjust how im doing things.

my calorie allotment was reduced (booooo!) and now I am working out harder and longer, but still only logging what I would have (used to) burn, which seems to be helping ... im still at a slower loss than previously, but again, with less to lose, that's to be expected.

Domicinator

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

Domicinator wrote: »

Another observation on this: I really do think I've been losing muscle for the last couple of weeks. My first indication was a few days ago--I noticed that my average speed while biking had dropped by a couple of miles an hour, so I started giving myself some breaks here and there by taking days off. When I would get back on the bike, my legs would still be dead from two days ago.

Also, I have about a half mile stretch of my normal route where I can shift up into my top gear and get a pretty good head of steam going--I always look at it as a reward for the 10 minutes of uphill riding I just did. For the last week, I have hardly been able to pedal at all in that gear. My legs just feel dead with that much resistance in the gears.

Today has been my first day of being nudged up to 1700 calories, and it's already going better. Not only have I been able to eat a little more, but I also had a lot more energy by the time I got on my bike. (I work from home, so I usually go out during my lunch break.) I think this is definitely the right move, both mentally and physically.

Of course you're losing muscle. Even at a slow rate of loss, with adequate protein, and strength training (resistance exercise/weight lifting), it's almost impossible not to lose at least a little muscle, and you've continued to demand that your body pull 1000 calories a day (= 2 pounds a week goal), or possibly closer to 1500 calories (=the nearly 3 pounds a week you've actually lost since May) from your energy reserves (i.e., your fat, muscles, and other LBM). Under ideal conditions (which don't exist in real life), you'd need at least 17% body fat to sustain a 1000 calorie a day deficit at your current weight (your body can recover 30 calories per pound of fat per day), and at least 25% body fat to sustain a 1500 calorie deficit at your current weight. I'm not an expert on body fat in guys, but my impression is that at 5'11 and 195 lbs, you're unlikely to have 25% body fat. And, as I said, those are max amounts of energy from fat under ideal conditions.

I actually think I'm right at 25% body fat based on some measuring I've done, so if your math is correct, there is no way I could have continued like this any longer. It's ok though--1500 a day (really more like 1800-exercise calories) felt fine for a few months, but now my body is telling me it's not fine, and I'm not going to ignore that. I just have to get ok with the weight loss slowing down a little, which it's going to do anyway.

Domicinator

If I'm going to judge it by how yesterday went--at the end of the day when we were getting ready for bed, my wife said, "I'm SO GLAD you upped your goal to 1700 calories." That was her way of saying, "You've been a nightmare to be around for the last few days." I felt much better after dinner as well, and did not go to bed hungry. I definitely think this was the right choice.

kathrynjean_

Domicinator wrote: »

If I'm going to judge it by how yesterday went--at the end of the day when we were getting ready for bed, my wife said, "I'm SO GLAD you upped your goal to 1700 calories." That was her way of saying, "You've been a nightmare to be around for the last few days." I felt much better after dinner as well, and did not go to bed hungry. I definitely think this was the right choice.

So happy to hear this!

Maxematics

Domicinator wrote: »

If I'm going to judge it by how yesterday went--at the end of the day when we were getting ready for bed, my wife said, "I'm SO GLAD you upped your goal to 1700 calories." That was her way of saying, "You've been a nightmare to be around for the last few days." I felt much better after dinner as well, and did not go to bed hungry. I definitely think this was the right choice.

Excellent! Glad to hear the good news! Keep us updated about your weight loss for the week. You're going to be surprised that you can eat more and still lose. If you still feel hungry, know that you can still increase and lose weight. As I said earlier, it may "feel" wrong mentally, but physically your body will prove otherwise.

Unknown

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47Jacqueline

2 pounds a week is the top of the safe range for losing weight. If you want to keep the weight off ultimately, slower has always been shown to be better because you learn how to change your attitude, your lifestyle and your body composition. Also losing weight fast ends up with you losing muscle rather than fat, especially at the last 20 or so pounds.

Relax. Reduce your weight loss speed to 1lb a week and then in 10 more lb, to 1/2. In the long run, it doesn't matter how long it takes you.

Domicinator

shell1005 wrote: »

I would echo the sentiment that you could use a little diet break. Sounds like you have some diet and exercise fatigue. I never had that with exercise since it is a huge part of my life, but I do know that as I got closer to goal....that I had to up my calories just because my body wanted it. It is also a really good thing. As you approach maintenance, you want to start eating and moving like you plan to do in maintenance.

And the feedback from your wife tells you that you are doing the right thing. Sounds like you were a hangry beast for a while. Enjoy the end of the journey before the hard work of maintaining starts!

P.S. If you don't like the elliptical...don't do it. I love the elliptical. I love running. However, I hate running on a treadmill. I will only do it if I HAVE and literally have no other options. It's the worst. I tend to have a philosophy of not doing exercise that I don't enjoy. Life is too short and all that jazz.

I started out on the elliptical and used to love feeling like I was sweating off the pounds, but after I bought my bike, the elliptical was just not cutting it anymore. I'd much rather exercise outside when possible. The elliptical largely goes unused for now, but the cold months are coming soon, so I think that will change. But while there's no snow on the ground, I will choose walking or biking any day over the elliptical.

Domicinator

47Jacqueline wrote: »

2 pounds a week is the top of the safe range for losing weight. If you want to keep the weight off ultimately, slower has always been shown to be better because you learn how to change your attitude, your lifestyle and your body composition. Also losing weight fast ends up with you losing muscle rather than fat, especially at the last 20 or so pounds.

Relax. Reduce your weight loss speed to 1lb a week and then in 10 more lb, to 1/2. In the long run, it doesn't matter how long it takes you.

I agree totally. I'm not 100% happy with my body yet and I'm not at my goal yet, but I am definitely happy that I look and feel a lot better than I did at 250 lbs. and that I'm buying size L shirts instead of size XXL shirts. I really am enjoying being smaller, so I have come to terms with the fact that it doesn't matter how long it takes for me to lose these last 20. It will happen when it happens, but it WILL happen.

dhimaan

I would reduce the deficit which means increased calories to 2k perhaps. Someway you have to find a way to exercise more lifting plus cardio.
I increased my calories and lifting heavy plus cardio and stomach is getting leaner slowly but maturely.
Give this strategy a go.

Domicinator

dhimaan wrote: »

I would reduce the deficit which means increased calories to 2k perhaps. Someway you have to find a way to exercise more lifting plus cardio.
I increased my calories and lifting heavy plus cardio and stomach is getting leaner slowly but maturely.
Give this strategy a go.

I'm increasing my calories, but lifting is out of the question right now--still in bi-weekly physical therapy for 2 severely bulging discs in my lower back, and I have bad shoulders as well. My joints are kind of a mess because I have psoriatic arthritis and degenerative discs in my back.

But more calories did feel good yesterday, and my biking went a lot better. Going to roll with this plan for awhile, and if I need to increase the calories a little more, I will do that a little at a time.

dhimaan

Domicinator wrote: »

dhimaan wrote: »

I would reduce the deficit which means increased calories to 2k perhaps. Someway you have to find a way to exercise more lifting plus cardio.
I increased my calories and lifting heavy plus cardio and stomach is getting leaner slowly but maturely.
Give this strategy a go.

I'm increasing my calories, but lifting is out of the question right now--still in bi-weekly physical therapy for 2 severely bulging discs in my lower back, and I have bad shoulders as well. My joints are kind of a mess because I have psoriatic arthritis and degenerative discs in my back.

But more calories did feel good yesterday, and my biking went a lot better. Going to roll with this plan for awhile, and if I need to increase the calories a little more, I will do that a little at a time.

Sounds good to me.

999tigger

Domicinator wrote: »

Since May 1, 2015, I've had my MFP calorie goal set to 1500 calories a day (2 lbs. a week), and have been either walking, biking, or doing the elliptical daily. This was fine up until about 2 weeks ago. I was getting by just fine on 1500 a day, and the cardio was giving me some wiggle room to eat a little more. And I was definitely losing at the rate MFP said I should be losing. In fact, I think it averages out to a little faster than MFP says I should be losing for some reason. Here are the problems I've had lately though:

1. Over the last 2 or 3 weeks, I have noticed that 1500 calories a day doesn't seem to be enough anymore. I pay very close attention to whether my hunger is just me wanting to eat or if I'm actually hungry--this is hunger. By the time dinner rolls around, I can definitely tell that I have not eaten enough during the day and that the 500 calories I have left in my budget for the day isn't going to do it. This is different than how it was before. On 1500 calories a day, I was totally fine at the end of the day as long as I ate a decent dinner and got some exercise to give me some more room to eat.

2. Cardio is not as effective as it used to be. I know this is because I'm in better shape now and 30 minutes on the bike isn't going to do me as much good as it used to. The problem is that because it's not doing as much good as it used to do, I'm not very motivated to do it. I LOVE riding my bike, so if the weather is good, I'll go out on my bike and just do it because it's fun. But if the weather is not good, I will not get on the elliptical. And if my legs feel dead from the previous day's bike ride, I skip exercise altogether.

I'm not sure how to explain it, but I feel a bit lost. I have upped my calorie goal to 1.5 lbs. a week instead of 2 lbs. a week so that I can take in a couple hundred more calories a day. I know the exercise isn't as important as the food, but I feel like by cutting back on the exercise and upping my calories, I have somehow failed. My weight loss has slowed way down, I'm hungry all the time, and I don't feel like exercising. This feels like a failure waiting to happen, and I'm only 20 lbs. away from my goal.

Would love some advice or insight--is this normal when you start getting close to goal weight? For anyone who wants to know, I'm 5'11", male, started out at 249 lbs. and am now at 195 lbs. I'd like to get down to 175.

1. You could simply be losing enthusiasm, which helps you exist on less as you have more focus. Weight loss is faster in the beginning and slows down at the end, get used to that idea. the important thing is you reach the end so sometimes you just make the deficit smaller so it becomes more sustainable.
2. You should be getting better at cardio. You burn fewer calories because you weigh less, but you cna increase burns bu pushing harder with faster times or longer distances. Your increased endurance should assist. Keep some performance measires. Id go down to 1lb a week.

Domicinator

Just as an update--I have been at 1700 calories a day for the last 3 days. My mood has improved, my energy is back up, and the number on the scale is starting to go down again. My instincts were telling me that this was a bad decision and that I would start putting weight back on, but that's only because I'm so used to how I've been eating for the last 4 months. Common sense tells me that 1700 a day is still plenty of deficit to lose weight.

My average biking speed is back up to where it was before, and I'm using those higher gears again without my legs dying on me. I'm also staying out on the road longer and enjoying my bike rides again instead of just doing them to get to a certain calorie burn number. I can't exercise effectively if I have no motivation or energy, and I can't have motivation or energy unless I have fuel. Simple as that.

This last week has been a big learning experience for me. I had no idea that this would happen and was not mentally prepared for it, but I listened to my body and did the right thing. Thanks to everyone for all your advice and helpful hints.