Help needed...miserable...

sanfromny

Mapalicious

I eat back 20%-25% of my exercise calories, as MFP calculates them (or adjusted to the exercise machine I was using, if I was using one). I would NEVER include the "steps I take in a day" as exercise calories though, unless it was a purposeful long walk that I did. I don't count steps tho.

So for example, I am now set to lose 1/2 a pound a week. I eat 1700 per day, but if I exercise off 500 calories, then I add 100 calories to what i can eat, and eat 1800 per day.

So I know "survival mode" isn't a thing, but hormones & metabolism CAN be affected by weightloss and how much (or how little) you eat. I tend to hang on to my fat when I go low, so I prefer to lose slowly, little by little. It makes it much more manageable for me.

That being said...it's only been two weeks! It's going to be months and months of work. So dig in your heels, and get used to new habits. But ALSO - make sure those habits are sustainable! If you are overly-hungry, tired, grumpy, etc - from not being able to eat enough, then eat a bit more food! You want to make this journey doable, not make yourself so unhappy and uncomfortable that you're discouraged and jump off the wagon.

Also - what are your stats? (height/weight)?

RoxieDawn

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all your replies. So should I be eating back my exercise calories do we think?

Yes. To be truthful all devices that calculate calorie burns are just not 100%. HR, fitness bands and the computers on the cardio machines. Only a portion...

But..You are on medication which throws a wrench in the "norm" weight loss and you should work with your body not against it. Give this a bit more time.

I personally (you do not have to) would wait until the scale moved. This way I did not throw additional calories into the mix that you are eating not causing weight loss.

When you start loosing and you will have a better understanding what your body is doing with being at a deficit, medication and exercise and even what you are eating at the time to find the balance.

But eat the exercise calories if you feel weak or fatigued so that you're getting the right energy balance. I would never just tell someone not eat back exercise calories should they need to avoid health or medical issues...

You may have a slightly bit more a challenge with medical issues and being on medication.

Dandelie

Start recording your weight at weightgrapher. I use it to show the fluctuations and to view the trending weight. What I love about it is that it is a visual of my weight going down. Even when I fluctuate above what I would like it to be.

lemurcat12

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all your replies. So should I be eating back my exercise calories do we think?

Yes, although like others said you might want to start with 50%, as they can be overestimated (figuring them out depends on many variables and the MFP estimates tend to be optimistic).

I did 1250 net beginning in early 2014 and lost 95 lb in about 13 months, and I ate 1250 net (which means eating back exercise calories) for the majority of it. When I switched I was exercising a lot more and went to a TDEE-based goal that includes exercise upfront so you eat the same amount of calories per day, but I think it would have averaged to a similar number.

I have never regretted eating that amount for the first part of my loss, as I had a lot to lose and averaging at 2 lb/week was appropriate, and I'm 5'3 and not that young. I do regret cutting so low as I got into the healthy range, as I think I may not have preserved as much muscle as I could have.

Another thing I am happy about is the decision to eat back exercise calories. When you have a lot to lose focusing on the loss per week being maximized is a foolish choice, as it's going to take a long time anyway, and you need something you can be happy with over a period of time, to be eating a normal kind of diet not something that feels like you are "dieting" or are deprived. Allowing myself to eat those calories helped with this. Also, many people who cut too low think they are fine until they are not, and then just lose it and quit or binge. For me having some extra calories to play with helped me feel like my diet was more flexible and prevented me from getting bored of it (much as I enjoy many lower calorie foods). It also helped me be able to focus not just on weight loss, but on improving at the various physical activities I was doing, which was important to me, to have positive goals to focus on beyond just loss.

So certainly if you have an aggressive (low) goal like I did and you do, you should eat back exercise calories.

It's also good for your health, of course.

ElizabethOakes2

Also, I can recommend start taking your measurements in addition to stepping on the scale. That scale sees everything and it lies from time to time, because it counts that undigested meal, or a bit of water weight in recently worked out muscles. Sometimes seeing that tape a quarter-inch tighter when the scale hasn't budged can be a big boost!

vivmom2014

mommazach wrote: »

I don't eat my exercise calories back. EVER. I shed those damn things and want them gone for good. Make sure you are drinking enough water, and by water I don't mean sweetened with some artificial crap, just good old water. I sometimes will drink tea or coffee, but NO sweeteners. I found an app that sends me reminders and it calculates how much you should be drinking based on your weight. Make sure you flush your system regularly.

You've been very vocal in the forums about not eating back your exercise calories, but if not eating them back means that you're netting below the minimum 1200 calories per day it isn't healthy. Besides not fueling the body properly and losing more muscle mass, it's not a good recommendation for others.

KAYRRIE

ummm you are supposed to net a certain number of calories...or are you really recommending that OP consume BELOW 1200 calories..

it is not about what you "shed" it is about the number of calories that you require to lose weight and perform basic bodily functions...[/quote]

Agreed! For a long time goal this is the truth.

btinghutch

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

Hi all,

I am feeling really down at the minute. I started calorie counting (again) on Saturday 20th Feb and lost 6 lbs in the first week. I was so happy.

Then this week (into day 4) and I have not lost a thing yet, in fact I have actually GAINED a little. How is that possible?! I am on 1200 calories a day and exercising (doing at least my 10,000 fitbit steps per day and often (but not everyday) incorporating a high intensity DVD, as well as going to a bootcamp). I am considered very obese according to BMI, so I just don't get why it isn't falling off me!

I am skeptical about the whole "1200 calories is too low" thing and "going into starvation mode" but would really appreciate some motivation/support here.

I KNOW it is only the 2nd week and perhaps I am expecting miracles but surely I should be losing more?

Thanks in advance!

C

BTW I have an underactive thyroid but am on a pretty high dose of thyroxine so this shouldn't affect it.

I gain between 5-6 lbs without fail, every month due to PMS. I can easily look 4 months pregnant!lol It's just always the way my body has been. It still bums me out when I step on the scale and my pants don't fit. It could possibly just be that for you?? If you lost 6 one week and stayed at 6 the next, keep track of your cycle on a calendar, and see??
If it's not, it's still common to lose water weight the first week of training/dieting,,and then hover around the same weight for a while. If you're doing things right, you're building muscle, and it does weigh more than fat

lemurcat12

That's a good idea. I always found I lost much better in two weeks than the other two per month. Everyone's pattern is different and after a few months you will know yours. In week two it's just as likely to be an adjustment to the big drop in week one, however, or water retention from increasing workouts. In any case no reason to worry.

beamer0821

weigh once a month and read up how your body loses/gains weight and water, etc. its a moment in time. so it doesnt emotionally derail you weigh once a month until you can understand your body better.

AnnPT77

beamer0821 wrote: »

weigh once a month and read up how your body loses/gains weight and water, etc. its a moment in time. so it doesnt emotionally derail you weigh once a month until you can understand your body better.

Or weigh every morning first thing, so you learn how your body's weight fluctuations work, and what causes them (new workouts, time of month, variation in time of day that you eat, higher-than-normal salt or carbs or calories, and more).

Daily weighing isn't for everyone. If weigh-ins are a very emotional experience, it may not be for you. But for those who can take it in stride & learn from it, daily weighing can be fine, and useful. (Infrequent weigh-ins aren't for everyone, either, in other words.)

P.S. I also have an underactive thyroid, but my thyroid hormone level is stable & well controlled with a hefty dose of thyroid hormone. I lost 1/3 of my body weight (60+ pounds) since April 2015, and now am at a healthy weight. You can do this. Patience and consistency is necessary. I absolutely concur that your weight loss won't be linear.

jgnatca

I think it is a North American thing that if a little effort is good, a whole lot of effort is fantastic! Everyone wants to be fantastic! But that's not how the weight loss game is played. Do this with the long view.

I think you are over-doing the exercise, expecting the results to show right away. But those results will likely show first as greater cardiovascular capacity, strength, and agility. Not in weight loss. Keep doing those activities that you really like, because you've got months of it ahead of you. Then at least if the scale refuses to budge once in a while, you won't feel like an absolute chump hating your life.

Eat back the exercise calories, and measure as you have been. And be patient.

size102b

Week 5 here - 1/2lb and last week I spent days painting up ladders moving heavy furniture kept to my calories I was gutted but the body will let go of what it wants when it wants
4 weeks -8lbs I used to lose 14lbs easy in 6 weeks but yoyoing has damaged my body
Keep going but take above advice

missblondi2u

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all your replies. So should I be eating back my exercise calories do we think?

I agree with others that said you should eat back your exercise calories. Your body can only metabolize a certain amount of fat in a given time period. Not fueling your exercise is a bad idea if you want to retain your muscle mass.

On the issue of eating back all or a portion of your exercise calories, I too have heard repeatedly that MFP overestimates calories burned, but that wasn't the case for me. Before I got a Fitbit, I logged all exercise in MFP (synced to mapmywalk). I became skeptical of the burns it was giving me, so I got a Fitbit to double check. My Fitbit adjustment is always very close to what MFP gives me for the same exercises, so I started trusting it. I eat back all of my Fitbit calories, and am still losing weight a little faster than expected, even after losing over 50 pounds already.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

KAYRRIE wrote: »

I lost 15 pounds so far Claire and so far I haven't exercised as much yet. How is it possible for me to lose that much weight? I'm not taking weight loss pills (only cause I just forget lol). I've been aiming at drinking 10-12 cups of water per day. I'm sticking to the amount of calories I'm allowed per day and I'm trying to eat less processed food (only cause of all that stupid salt that will bloat you and make you feel heavier and it shows on the scale easily). You may not want to believe the whole 1200 calorie minimum per day but it's true. Think of it as that's the amount of gas you need in your "car" for it to run properly. That amount is your fuel, and if you're heavier set then you actually need a bit more. If you're exercising that much then I'm assuming you're not eating your calories back. So if you're allowed 1200 and you burn 500 and you don't eat it those back, then your body is trying to function on only 700 cals, which will put it into "survival" mode and it will hold on tight to that fat for "protection". If you're allowed 1200, eat all your calories. You can have a big salad with grilled chicken, you can have eggs, protein, peanut butter, whole wheats, etc. all kinds of yummy choices. As they say, it's 80% diet, and 20% exercise. I've tested it and it's true. Hope this helps.

it will not go into survival mode and hold onto the fat.thats a myth.