Frustrated and desperate for help :(
ka97
Posts: 1,984 Member
OK so a little background - I had lost 50lbs or so on my own - eating healthy and exercising. I joined MFP last year and lost another 7. Got down to a really happy weight. Attempted to maintain over the year, but.....family health issues led to too much flexible eating and missed workouts and I gained the 7 back. In April I recommitted to my eating and exercise routine and was determined to get the weight back off. But I have been stuck. The past few years I have lost weight during triathlon training without thinking much of it. This year, nothing. I'm using the MFP method - set to sedentary for a 0.5lb per week loss. I try to not eat all of my exercise calories back in order to account for any overestimation of exercise and underestimation of food. Some days I am over my calorie goal and some days I am way under. It's been average 1200-1300 net, but I'm getting nowhere. I'm so ready to just give up and cry, I don't know what else to do.
Provide your stats (height/weight/age/bodyfat% if you know it/etc)
H – 5’5”
A – 38yrs
BF% - My trainer calculated it at 21% back in February using calipers, but I honestly think that is a bit low.
W – 142.2 as of this AM. Has been fluctuation between 139-143 since April. I do weigh several times per week, and I expect to see fluctuations, but I have not seen the downward trend that I would like/expect. Weekly averages since May:
5/11 142.5 avg
5/18 141.4 avg
5/25 141.3 avg
6/1 141.5 avg
6/8 140.9 avg
6/15 141.4 avg
6/22 140.5 avg
6/28 141.7 avg
What's your current gross intake of calories, on average? About 1850 on average, but on a daily basis that could vary from 1500 to 2500.
What's your current average intake of protein, carbs, and fats, in grams? (GRAMS, not percent!)
Like my calories, this really can vary, but for an average:
C – 260
P – 114
F - 50
Do you use a food scale and measure everything? I try to measure everything, but I will admit I am not 100% consistent. I eat a lot of the same things, so there are days when I’m hurried and I get lazy and eyeball. I generally to measure vegetables because I figure they are so low in calories anyways.
Do you track all of your intake, daily? (Everything?) Yes everything, even my coffee for which I get laughed at.
Do you take cheat days or days off? I don’t really take “cheat days.” If I want something I log it and try to make it fit in my calorie allotment. However, I have taken days off from logging. A few days last week leading up to my tri – I just wanted to eat what I knew I needed to eat and not stress over the red numbers. A couple of days during my last period because I was an emotional mess and I just couldn’t handle the stress. I also took two weeks off in May per my trainer’s request. He felt like I was over thinking and over stressing about my food intake and asked me to take a break from logging and clear my head. But I was so worried about overeating those two weeks I was especially vigilant about what I was eating, and of course trying to keep track of the numbers in the back of my head.
How much weight have you lost so far and over what time period? Lost 50-55 lbs before joining MFP. Lost 7 pounds last spring/summer, eating and exercising almost exactly as I am now. Gained the 7 back over the winter. Since mid-April have been consistent with the logging and exercise, but lost maybe a pound.
Describe your activity (exercise and non exercise) and did you change that activity withing the last couple of months?
Daily I am a special ed teacher. Other than walking around the building to different classrooms, I would say I spend most of the day sitting working with individual or small groups of students.
As for exercise, since April I have been training for summer triathlons. I don’t really have a consistent schedule since I can’t fit everything in, but a typical week usually includes a med/long run (8-12 miles), a bike-run brick, a mile swim, a speed/plyo workout, one lifting session with my trainer, one lifting session on my own, and whatever other running or biking I can fit in somewhere. Most weeks I have one rest day. Sometimes if I'm feeling especially tired or if I have a race coming up, I might take two rest days.
How long have you been stalled and if it is not a complete stall please be very specific as to how much you have lost over the stalled period.
Weight was averaging 142-143 in April, so maybe I've lost a pound since then.
Are you breastfeeding? No
Do you have thyroid issues/risks or PCOS? No
Also, please ensure that you have your diary open. Yes it's open.
Provide your stats (height/weight/age/bodyfat% if you know it/etc)
H – 5’5”
A – 38yrs
BF% - My trainer calculated it at 21% back in February using calipers, but I honestly think that is a bit low.
W – 142.2 as of this AM. Has been fluctuation between 139-143 since April. I do weigh several times per week, and I expect to see fluctuations, but I have not seen the downward trend that I would like/expect. Weekly averages since May:
5/11 142.5 avg
5/18 141.4 avg
5/25 141.3 avg
6/1 141.5 avg
6/8 140.9 avg
6/15 141.4 avg
6/22 140.5 avg
6/28 141.7 avg
What's your current gross intake of calories, on average? About 1850 on average, but on a daily basis that could vary from 1500 to 2500.
What's your current average intake of protein, carbs, and fats, in grams? (GRAMS, not percent!)
Like my calories, this really can vary, but for an average:
C – 260
P – 114
F - 50
Do you use a food scale and measure everything? I try to measure everything, but I will admit I am not 100% consistent. I eat a lot of the same things, so there are days when I’m hurried and I get lazy and eyeball. I generally to measure vegetables because I figure they are so low in calories anyways.
Do you track all of your intake, daily? (Everything?) Yes everything, even my coffee for which I get laughed at.
Do you take cheat days or days off? I don’t really take “cheat days.” If I want something I log it and try to make it fit in my calorie allotment. However, I have taken days off from logging. A few days last week leading up to my tri – I just wanted to eat what I knew I needed to eat and not stress over the red numbers. A couple of days during my last period because I was an emotional mess and I just couldn’t handle the stress. I also took two weeks off in May per my trainer’s request. He felt like I was over thinking and over stressing about my food intake and asked me to take a break from logging and clear my head. But I was so worried about overeating those two weeks I was especially vigilant about what I was eating, and of course trying to keep track of the numbers in the back of my head.
How much weight have you lost so far and over what time period? Lost 50-55 lbs before joining MFP. Lost 7 pounds last spring/summer, eating and exercising almost exactly as I am now. Gained the 7 back over the winter. Since mid-April have been consistent with the logging and exercise, but lost maybe a pound.
Describe your activity (exercise and non exercise) and did you change that activity withing the last couple of months?
Daily I am a special ed teacher. Other than walking around the building to different classrooms, I would say I spend most of the day sitting working with individual or small groups of students.
As for exercise, since April I have been training for summer triathlons. I don’t really have a consistent schedule since I can’t fit everything in, but a typical week usually includes a med/long run (8-12 miles), a bike-run brick, a mile swim, a speed/plyo workout, one lifting session with my trainer, one lifting session on my own, and whatever other running or biking I can fit in somewhere. Most weeks I have one rest day. Sometimes if I'm feeling especially tired or if I have a race coming up, I might take two rest days.
How long have you been stalled and if it is not a complete stall please be very specific as to how much you have lost over the stalled period.
Weight was averaging 142-143 in April, so maybe I've lost a pound since then.
Are you breastfeeding? No
Do you have thyroid issues/risks or PCOS? No
Also, please ensure that you have your diary open. Yes it's open.
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Replies
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Hi! and tagging!0
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tagging0
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bumping
Hope I'm not being too impatient
Thank You
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bumping
Hope I'm not being too impatient
Thank You
Not at all, bumping after 48 hours is acceptable and preferred. Bumping in the same day is impatient.
Sara and I should get several threads done today and we'll try to get this one moving.0 -
Sorry for the delay.
Your logging looks good, you just need to reduce intake slightly.
Please set your intake to the following and report back to us in 1 to 2 weeks unless you are having issues.
1700 kcals
205 carbohydrate
45 fat
120 protein
^ This is total intake, you do not eat back exercise calories with this method.0 -
OK, thanks.
Just a couple of questions.....
-Is the 1700 a daily consistent, or an average? I guessing that you guys think the exercise calories are way overestimated, but still 1700 on a day with a 12 mile run or a long brick might be tough. If I need to average it out, is that ok?
-If I'm having trouble making all the numbers work, which is more important - the calories, or the macros?
-I can't hit all the macros to on a given day, which is the most important?
-And are they minimums, maximums, or try to hit the exact number as close as possible?
Thanks again for the help!0 -
OK, thanks.
Just a couple of questions.....
-Is the 1700 a daily consistent, or an average? I guessing that you guys think the exercise calories are way overestimated, but still 1700 on a day with a 12 mile run or a long brick might be tough. If I need to average it out, is that ok?
Yes, averaging it out is fine.-If I'm having trouble making all the numbers work, which is more important - the calories, or the macros?
-I can't hit all the macros to on a given day, which is the most important?
-And are they minimums, maximums, or try to hit the exact number as close as possible?
Get as close as you can.
Generally, calories>protein>fat>carbs as far as importance.
You can exceed protein or fat and reduce carbs in order to do so and not go over calories.0 -
okie dokie!
Thanks again!:drinker:0 -
Locking so we can track active threads. Please PM either myself or SideSteel when you are ready to update us and we will unlock so you can. Please also include a link to this thread in the PM.0
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Unlocked at OPs request.0
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Thanks again for the help! To be honest, the 1700 was hard, really hard some days. Staying under the carbs was even harder :frown: I did manage to keep to the 1700 for the most part, or at least average it out over the course of the week. Didn't always hit the macros. And I missed one day of logging because we were out at a water park all day and I just didn't want to try to keep track of every little thing. I'm sure I was well over that day.
With that.....I appear to be down about two pounds.
7/4 - 141.4
7/5 - 141.2
7/6 - 142
7/8 - 143.4
7/9 - 142.6
7/10 - 142.4
7/12 - 140.4
7/14 - 139.4
7/15 - 138.4
7/16 - 138.4
7/17 - 139.4
7/18 - 141.2
7/19 - 139.2
7/20 - 139.2
I wasn't sure what I should have expected, but I am happy with the progress. It seems to be working, but I did want to check in to make sure, and to find out if you have any further recommendations or just keep everything as is.
I should also mention that in the past my body has had a tendency to go weeks without a loss, then suddenly drop 2-4lbs at once, often the week after my period. So I guess I wouldn't be too surprised if the scale doesn't move again for 4-5 weeks, though I really hope that doesn't happen. I also started mirena on June 10, so my cycle is a little "off" at the moment. This all may be completely irrelevant, but I figured I would mention it.
Thanks again for your time! I really really appreciate it!!!
Kim0 -
Stay the course.
Make sure you keep diligent with logging/tracking accuracy. Most people will do well with it when prodded, then start slacking again.
EDIT: Looks like your logging wasn't the issue. That's a rarity.
Stay on top of it and you will likely continue to lose for a bit.0 -
Thanks for the update and well done for sticking as closely as you could to the targets.0
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Please check back with us in 2 weeks, or earlier if you are having significant compliance, hunger or energy issues.
Locking for now. Please PM us when you are ready to update the thread.0
This discussion has been closed.