Getting Frustrated

beastmode_kitty

For about a year I've been consistently lifting heavy, with some cardio, and some HIIT. Since starting to lift heavy I haven't really seen any good results. Recently I've been diagnosed with Anemia and im on some iron supplements to bring up my ferritin levels.

I've had my calories as low as 1300-1400 a day to about 1900-2000 a day, and everything in between and I just can't get any inches really to come off. I got a fitbit charge hr for christmas and its been showing me I burn roughly 2300-2500 calories a day.

I was following the eatmore2weigh less thing and it hasn't really been working for me either. Eating 1900+ calories was making my stomach hurt and making me really tired. If I keep it around 1600 then i feel ok. But still just can't get the pounds or the inches to come off. My diary is open if anyone wants to take a look.

cityruss

Can't see your diary I'm afraid.

However, with everything else being on point, such as your logging, if you aren't losing pounds or inches, or improving aesthetically in regards to fat loss, then you aren't in a calorie deficit.

erickirb

Do you weigh solid foods and measure liquids as well as verify the correctness of the entry? Usually it comes down to logging errors, either eating more than you think of burning less than you estimate.

beastmode_kitty

cityruss wrote: »

Can't see your diary I'm afraid.

However, with everything else being on point, such as your logging, if you aren't losing pounds or inches, or improving aesthetically in regards to fat loss, then you aren't in a calorie deficit.

Sorry about that, thought i had it open. Now its open.

Its hard to figure out my numbers. Nothing was moving really at 1600 and nothing was moving at 2000. I know my doc told me that having extremely low ferritin can trigger slow to no weight loss, but my energy levels are coming back up now.

StaciMarie1974

I'm not sure how often you are changing your plans. But that can make it hard to judge by results. When you eat 1600, and felt good, were you using a food scale and logging accurately? If Fitbit shows you burning 2300-2500, assuming it could be off by 5-10% (nothing is 100% and I am a Fitbit fan!) then 1600 is probably a good intake level.

beastmode_kitty

erickirb wrote: »

Do you weigh solid foods and measure liquids as well as verify the correctness of the entry? Usually it comes down to logging errors, either eating more than you think of burning less than you estimate.

I do weigh my solid foods, and measure the liquid ones.

Now i have my settings to lose 1lb a week but am a little confused with the daily activities. I drive a bus for a living, but I workout an hour a day, 5 days a week. So what should I have that set to?

jemhh

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

I'm not sure how often you are changing your plans. But that can make it hard to judge by results. When you eat 1600, and felt good, were you using a food scale and logging accurately? If Fitbit shows you burning 2300-2500, assuming it could be off by 5-10% (nothing is 100% and I am a Fitbit fan!) then 1600 is probably a good intake level.

Agreed.

OP, what are your height and weight?

beastmode_kitty

jemhh wrote: »

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

I'm not sure how often you are changing your plans. But that can make it hard to judge by results. When you eat 1600, and felt good, were you using a food scale and logging accurately? If Fitbit shows you burning 2300-2500, assuming it could be off by 5-10% (nothing is 100% and I am a Fitbit fan!) then 1600 is probably a good intake level.

Agreed.

OP, what are your height and weight?

I'm 5'8 and 165 pounds. I bounce between 163-166

beastmode_kitty

I also keep reading that when you eat too low for a considerable amount of time that you should eat at maintenance for 6-8 weeks. I don't think I can do that, but i also make sure I eat at least at my BMR level.

StaciMarie1974

Bunk/woo/bro-science LOL.

How long have you been eating at 1600ish? That's the key. Note some medical conditions/medicines can impact metabolism and therefore the rate your body burns calories compared to the 'average human'. But if the medical issues are being addressed, giving 6-8 weeks of eating at a consistent level should give you data to work with.

beastmode_kitty wrote: »

I also keep reading that when you eat too low for a considerable amount of time that you should eat at maintenance for 6-8 weeks. I don't think I can do that, but i also make sure I eat at least at my BMR level.

lemonychild

I'm confused what is wanted here? Loss or bulk? Heavy weights?

callsitlikeiseeit

beastmode_kitty wrote: »

I also keep reading that when you eat too low for a considerable amount of time that you should eat at maintenance for 6-8 weeks. I don't think I can do that, but i also make sure I eat at least at my BMR level.

total bunk.

if you are not losing, you are not in a deficit.

your activity level should be set at sedentary, then log and eat back a potion of your exercise calories.

beastmode_kitty

lemonychild wrote: »

I'm confused what is wanted here? Loss or bulk? Heavy weights?

Loss. Im around 30% BF and I would like to get down to about 20-22%.

lemonychild

Loss... As u know u need a deficit, as everyone else said. If u have been At a deficit for a long time, I do agree u need to eat At maintenance because u need your leptin levels restored .. This is what I have learned from power lifters who eat at deficit that u need refeed days ... Ask on success forum "vismal" who as gone through it

beastmode_kitty

lemonychild wrote: »

Loss... As u know u need a deficit, as everyone else said. If u have been At a deficit for a long time, I do agree u need to eat At maintenance because u need your leptin levels restored .. This is what I have learned from power lifters who eat at deficit that u need refeed days ... Ask on success forum "vismal" who as gone through it

I do have one refeed day a week which usually ends up being Saturday nights.

jemhh

beastmode_kitty wrote: »

lemonychild wrote: »

Loss... As u know u need a deficit, as everyone else said. If u have been At a deficit for a long time, I do agree u need to eat At maintenance because u need your leptin levels restored .. This is what I have learned from power lifters who eat at deficit that u need refeed days ... Ask on success forum "vismal" who as gone through it

I do have one refeed day a week which usually ends up being Saturday nights.

Do you count those calories?

beastmode_kitty

jemhh wrote: »

beastmode_kitty wrote: »

lemonychild wrote: »

Loss... As u know u need a deficit, as everyone else said. If u have been At a deficit for a long time, I do agree u need to eat At maintenance because u need your leptin levels restored .. This is what I have learned from power lifters who eat at deficit that u need refeed days ... Ask on success forum "vismal" who as gone through it

I do have one refeed day a week which usually ends up being Saturday nights.

Do you count those calories?

As best as I can. I try not to go over 30% of my daily cals for the day. Or I keep it at what maintenance would be.

beastmode_kitty

How much over my normal cals should I go on refeed days?

lemonychild

25%more carbs .. I'd say on refeed but I do not think that that is the issue since u already have a refeed day. It's your regular day calories that are off, one way or another. Go on yT. Find IIFYM or flexible dieting

middlehaitch

Your daily activity as a bus driver is sedentary.
You enter your exercise separately and eat back 50-75% of those calories. Your deficit is included in your base calories, so eat your exercise cals to fuel your workouts.
If you wish to go off your Fitbit dropping 500cals will get you at a 1 lbs a week loss.

I have never found a re feed day necessary even when lifting.

Cheers, h.

jacklifts

maybe get your resting metabolic rate tested if there's a center around you that does it. that'll set your mind more at ease with what calorie level you should be eating. otherwise, it's a guess like everyone else said. 1600 sounds about right though.

beastmode_kitty

jacklifts wrote: »

maybe get your resting metabolic rate tested if there's a center around you that does it. that'll set your mind more at ease with what calorie level you should be eating. otherwise, it's a guess like everyone else said. 1600 sounds about right though.

I'm not sure there is a place in my home city that does this kind of testing.

However, I've been eating at 1600-1700 calories the last couple days and it seems to be helping me. I feel leaner, and don't look as puffy. Measurements haven't really changed much, but I can't expect that too quickly.

AliceDark

Leave everything else the same and ditch the refeed day, which isn't really necessary.

VintageFeline

How long are you giving these ever changing calorie levels a go to assess progress? A couple of days is nothing and will tell you nothing. You need to pick a goal and stick to it for a good 6-8 weeks tracking faithfully and honestly.

I also agree the refeed day is unnecessary and is probably contributing to the issues.

AliceDark

I clicked through about 10 days of your diary; does your intake usually vary that much? It's really difficult to tell what your actual average intake is because every day is so different. Could you try picking a target and sticking to it as closely as possible for 4-8 weeks? Either a TDEE target or MFP's base + exercise is fine, but I think more consistency would really help you. It's hard to tell how to adjust, or even if you need to, when your data is all over the place like that.

kimny72

OP, you need to pick a calorie goal and stick with it for AT LEAST 4-6 weeks to give your body a chance to catch up. I really think you are making this more complicated than you need to.

Set yourself to sedentary, and your goal to 1 lb or one-half pound per week. That will give you baseline calories. Log your exercise every day and eat back half those calories.

Weigh all solids possible on a food scale. Make sure you are picking accurate entries in the database.

If you want to do a refeed day that's fine I suppose, but those calories count! You should be weighing and logging them to make sure you aren't undoing the rest of the week with those extra calories. If you are looking to lose weight, that calorie deficit is the key.

And then - be patient! Weight loss isn't linear, it is perfectly normal to not lose for a few weeks and then have a sudden drop, which you might be missing because you keep trying to change everything up. Good luck!

ZeroDelta