Can someone look at my food diary please?
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cherylmurray83 wrote: »_Terrapin_ wrote: »So, how quickly did you lose the weight? And how long have you stopped or hit a plateau?
It took me about 8 months, probably closer to 9 to lose the initial 37 pounds, and I've been at this plateau since January 2015, so 10 months of little to no movement. I don't even want to lose much more, maybe just 15-20 lbs (depending on how it looks... I don't want to be too thin!) I'm 5'10", so I think about 160 if I'm in good shape would be ideal.
I picked a date at random (1 June) and looked at every day that week.
You only logged one day, one sandwich, and two breakfasts for that whole week.
This is not a big mystery.
Log everything! 0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Please provide your stats.
OP said 5'10" and goal is 160ish and she said 15-20 from goal so I am guessing she is between 175 and 180lbs and 5'10"
and OP I think you could even be under eating. Please look up your calories for your height and weight. I put in light exercise and a calculator gave me 1350-1550 for your weight and height to lose weight...however you might be moderately active. In which case youd need 1500-1700. Are you eating back your exercise calories? You should be sure you net at least 1300...but I would go a bit higher. Something that worked to get me to lose weight when I'd gotten stuck is calorie cycling. You keep the same average deficit for the week, but you eat different amounts each day. For example, if you are sure you want your average to be 1300, you could do this:
Sunday 1300
Monday 1200
Tuesday 1400
Wednesday 1200
Thursday 1500
Friday 1200
Saturday 1300
It is easier if you have a higher calorie goal but still. There is a calculator that also can do this for you here:
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
Good luck! Good work on the weight loss, so far. 0 -
If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.0
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Definitely weigh everything. It makes a huge difference.
Question. Why are you trying to lose so aggressively? I have similar stats to you (5'9" 150 pounds 30-years-old) and I'm still losing on 1800 calories a day. Us tall girls need to eat more.0 -
cherylmurray83 wrote: »It honestly looks like you don't weigh anything. All your entries seem to be standard size serves.
If I have spaghetti sometimes the serve maybe 54 grams, other times 55, 56, 57 etc but it isn't always exactly 56 grams like your entries.
I'm not sure what you mean... I had quinoa spaghetti just now for dinner. 56 g is almost 2 oz (my scale measures in oz, not grams). I weigh it before I cook it.
I don't weigh anything and I've never had an issue..0 -
Asher_Ethan wrote: »Definitely weigh everything. It makes a huge difference.
Question. Why are you trying to lose so aggressively? I have similar stats to you (5'9" 150 pounds 30-years-old) and I'm still losing on 1800 calories a day. Us tall girls need to eat more.
This. I second and repeat what I said before, I think you are under eating.0 -
If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »
Love the video! This is the best illustration I've seen of how quickly those estimated calories can add up. Too bad he didn't have exact calorie counts for the two days or for the specific items. It would have even more impact, but the point is taken. ;D
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Verity1111 wrote: »Asher_Ethan wrote: »Definitely weigh everything. It makes a huge difference.
Question. Why are you trying to lose so aggressively? I have similar stats to you (5'9" 150 pounds 30-years-old) and I'm still losing on 1800 calories a day. Us tall girls need to eat more.
This. I second and repeat what I said before, I think you are under eating.
How can you know she's undereating when some days haven't been logged at all?
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Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
That's not how this works.
If you had to eat more to lose weight, there would be no such thing as anorexia or famine.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
Um, no one's body defies science. If you take in less than you burn you will lose weight. If you take in more, you will gain. If she is not losing, then she is not in a deficit. She has not lost weight since January. You simply don't undereat for 10 months and not lose any weight.0 -
Need to be in a deficit to lose weight. If you are not losing weight you are not in a deficit. You cannot undermine the laws of thermodynamics.0
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The OP isn't losing because she is trying to apply what she learnt doing the 21 day Fix, using containers, and average calories for food, to counting calories on MFP.
Unfortunately it doesn't cross over well so her 1200 cals is only a rough estimate.
Cheers, h.
Sorry that I talked about you in the abstract OP, I was just trying to explain how I perceived your problem.
Please correct where wrong.0 -
It doesn't look like you are logging everything - on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday you logged less than 1000 calories.
What percentage of your exercise calories do you eat back? While MFP is designed so that you eat them back, eating them ALL back is not recommended as burns tend to be inflated.
I see ~ 300 calories for 30 minutes of 21 Day Fix - maybe someone with a fitbit and similar stats can weigh in on the accuracy of that.0 -
cherylmurray83 wrote: »HI Cheryl. I looked at the last three days of your diary and I notice a lot of items are volume measures (cups, tablespoons, etc) and some look like they might have been chosen from the MFP database. Are you using a food scale to weigh your portions? If not, you might want to try that, especially for peanut butter (one of my favs, and I always weigh it). Good luck with your journey!
Yes, I measure and weigh my food... I was taught portion control from the 21 Day Fix! Thanks.
If you weigh everything, why isn't it recorded that way in your diary? If you're not losing weight, you're not in a deficit and the most likely culprit is inaccurate logging.
This. Measuring spoons, cups, and eyeballs are never as accurate as weighing food.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
Um, no one's body defies science. If you take in less than you burn you will lose weight. If you take in more, you will gain. If she is not losing, then she is not in a deficit. She has not lost weight since January. You simply don't undereat for 10 months and not lose any weight.
Im not even going to bother..... I have AGAIN as I said had to UP my calories to lose weight. I wont go any further than repeating that.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
Um, no one's body defies science. If you take in less than you burn you will lose weight. If you take in more, you will gain. If she is not losing, then she is not in a deficit. She has not lost weight since January. You simply don't undereat for 10 months and not lose any weight.
I lied heres more
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/193m19/i_started_eating_more_calories_to_lose_my_last/
That story is very similar to OPs and even the calories and the stopping in january are alike. It is not DEFYING science. It is part of science. Our bodies are more complex than people seem to think.0 -
Yes, our bodies are complex but they will not hold onto fat in a calorie deficit. This is why anorexics get thin and concentration camp victims starved to death. Usually when a person thinks they start eating "more" and lose weight, they've actually just become vigilant about logging.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/761810/the-starvation-mode-myth-again/p10 -
Since the OP is not losing weight, I don't see how you came to the conclusion that she's not eating enough.Verity1111 wrote: »Asher_Ethan wrote: »Definitely weigh everything. It makes a huge difference.
Question. Why are you trying to lose so aggressively? I have similar stats to you (5'9" 150 pounds 30-years-old) and I'm still losing on 1800 calories a day. Us tall girls need to eat more.
This. I second and repeat what I said before, I think you are under eating.
If she was under eating she would be losing weight. If you are not losing weight and want to do so, you never raise your calorie goal. That just is not the way it works.
You only raise your calorie goal if you are already losing weight and want to lose at a slower rate.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
Um, no one's body defies science. If you take in less than you burn you will lose weight. If you take in more, you will gain. If she is not losing, then she is not in a deficit. She has not lost weight since January. You simply don't undereat for 10 months and not lose any weight.
I lied heres more
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/193m19/i_started_eating_more_calories_to_lose_my_last/
That story is very similar to OPs and even the calories and the stopping in january are alike. It is not DEFYING science. It is part of science. Our bodies are more complex than people seem to think.
Calories in/calories out is absolute science. That is not to say that medical issues don't affect metabolism, but weight loss still comes down to eating less calories than you burn.
The only way that person you referenced in your link was losing weight when eating more is by still being in a deficit.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »Verity1111 wrote: »If she's not losing weight now, she certainly doesn't need to eat more.
Um that is false. Sometimes not eating enough will cause the body to stall. Part of why there is calorie cycling and other methods to break a plateau. I, personally, have had to UP my calories to lose weight in the past.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/not-eating-enough-calories-for-weight-loss/
http://chriskresser.com/are-you-an-under-eater-8-signs-youre-not-eating-enough/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/not-eating-enough-calories-to-lose-weight/
Um, no one's body defies science. If you take in less than you burn you will lose weight. If you take in more, you will gain. If she is not losing, then she is not in a deficit. She has not lost weight since January. You simply don't undereat for 10 months and not lose any weight.
Im not even going to bother..... I have AGAIN as I said had to UP my calories to lose weight. I wont go any further than repeating that.
There was obviously more to it than you're claiming.
I'll quote you. "Our bodies are more complex than people seem to think."
You were undeniably still in a deficit, and possibly also exercising more, eating less sodium, having hormonal changes.
Eating more had nothing to do with it.
I mean you no disrespect. We all have had strange beliefs that need revising. I do that all the time. Best wishes.
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OP, you say that you're in Canada and Canadians don't weigh things in ounces. Fair enough! Grams are better, anyway.
But then you say that your scale weighs in ounces.
What am I missing there?
The 21 Day fix uses contains to measure out the food you eat and MFP uses calories in the food for counting calories. You kind of have to pick whether or not you want to use calories or containers. Technically, you could weigh the food and get the number of calories and then put it in Tupperware, but that's a lot of Tupperware to wash for no good reason.
If you want to count calories, do that. Weighing will help you get the most accurate estimate possible, but you can measure in cups and make adjustments if you're totally anti-weighing. The weighing will mean fewer cups to wash and few ere adjustments to make, but it can be done without using a scale.
What you really cannot do (well, you could, but it's extra confusing and rather pointless) is mix and match different programs. Stick with calories or go with the 21 day fix.
You need to pick a plan and go with it, then tweak as needed. But pick a plan! 0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »Asher_Ethan wrote: »Definitely weigh everything. It makes a huge difference.
Question. Why are you trying to lose so aggressively? I have similar stats to you (5'9" 150 pounds 30-years-old) and I'm still losing on 1800 calories a day. Us tall girls need to eat more.
This. I second and repeat what I said before, I think you are under eating.
How would you know? She's not accurate at all in her logging. She's probably eating way more than what she's recording.0 -
Verity1111 wrote: »Liftng4Lis wrote: »Please provide your stats.
OP said 5'10" and goal is 160ish and she said 15-20 from goal so I am guessing she is between 175 and 180lbs and 5'10"
and OP I think you could even be under eating.
Good luck! Good work on the weight loss, so far.
People don't "NOT LOSE" because they're under eating. It doesn't work that way!
OP, tighten up your logging. Cups should only be used for liquids.0 -
Spend some time evey day for the next weeks logging everything. By weight, not estimations not cups. You will be surprised.0
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I also have a digital Salter scale. I rarely use it now as I've been eating right for almost 6 months...I've lost close to 50 lbs., a nice , slow pace. The only advice I could give is that I don't have a 'cheat' day every week. I recently had a cheat weekend for Thanksgiving, but managed to lose the 3 lbs. that I gained fairly quickly. It's the first time in months that I've done anything like that. I'm going to be more careful at Christmas, as I don't want to gain any weight. I think 'cheat' days really slow weight loss down.0
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OP, I personally have found it very helpful to use a food scale that measures in grams - even for fruit and veggies. I also log every single day - I found I was undoing my entire deficit during the week by having extra treats on the weekend.
Also, you mentioned wanting to look more toned, perhaps try adding some weightlifting (with heavy weights!) to your routine? It hasn't helped me drop weight any faster, but it has made me so much happier with what I see in the mirror - which is the goal anyway!0 -
cherylmurray83 wrote: »You're not weighing your food... I see a lot of things in cups and not weighed (veggies, 'medium apples' or bananas etc). Some entries are plain wrong too - 5oz of cooked chicken breast is more than 117 calories. More like 180...
Weigh everything and use accurate entries (look for usda entries).
Other than that, you're eating so little I can't imagine why you would not lose. Either you're not logging everything, or you're REALLY underestimating your cup entries, or you have a medical issue that stops you from losing.
I do weigh everything. I don't feel it necessary to weigh an apple. And I measure in cups because that's how it's taught to do it in the 21-Day Fix. I'm also from Canada, so we don't measure dry goods in ounces. I did look up the chicken... I will have to replace the option I use in MFP for the more accurate one. 230 oz for 5 ounces! I can't see how I'm eating so little. I have three meals and two snacks a day, and within a healthy calorie range for safe weight loss.
To say you weigh everything means you need to weigh everything. Apples are no exception. Neither are bread slices or chickens.
I looked at 2 months in your diary. June and September. June is mostly unlogged or partially logged. September has 15 logged days, 4 questionably logged days, 2 clearly partially logged days and 9 unlogged days. Your body is telling you the truth via the scale. You're not eating in a deficit. If you were really and truly eating 1100-1200 calories per day at 5'10" tall you'd be losing weight. Barring an unknown/undisclosed medical condition you're eating more than you think.
Make a commitment for one month to weigh everything (weigh on a scale, no measuring cups or spoons unless it's a liquid) and log it. The good, the bad, the ugly and the cheat meals. Tightening up your logging will get the scale moving downward again. Best of luck to you.
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cherylmurray83 wrote: »You're not weighing your food... I see a lot of things in cups and not weighed (veggies, 'medium apples' or bananas etc). Some entries are plain wrong too - 5oz of cooked chicken breast is more than 117 calories. More like 180...
Weigh everything and use accurate entries (look for usda entries).
Other than that, you're eating so little I can't imagine why you would not lose. Either you're not logging everything, or you're REALLY underestimating your cup entries, or you have a medical issue that stops you from losing.
I do weigh everything. I don't feel it necessary to weigh an apple. And I measure in cups because that's how it's taught to do it in the 21-Day Fix. I'm also from Canada, so we don't measure dry goods in ounces. I did look up the chicken... I will have to replace the option I use in MFP for the more accurate one. 230 oz for 5 ounces! I can't see how I'm eating so little. I have three meals and two snacks a day, and within a healthy calorie range for safe weight loss.
To say you weigh everything means you need to weigh everything. Apples are no exception. Neither are bread slices or chickens.
I looked at 2 months in your diary. June and September. June is mostly unlogged or partially logged. September has 15 logged days, 4 questionably logged days, 2 clearly partially logged days and 9 unlogged days. Your body is telling you the truth via the scale. You're not eating in a deficit. If you were really and truly eating 1100-1200 calories per day at 5'10" tall you'd be losing weight. Barring an unknown/undisclosed medical condition you're eating more than you think.
Make a commitment for one month to weigh everything (weigh on a scale, no measuring cups or spoons unless it's a liquid) and log it. The good, the bad, the ugly and the cheat meals. Tightening up your logging will get the scale moving downward again. Best of luck to you.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKPIcI51lU
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