If calories in vs. calories out is what matters, why no weight loss?
misschellechelle
Posts: 52 Member
I am trying to lose my last 5-7 pounds. I weigh all of my food and log absolutely everything! I also wear a fitbit to get a general idea of calories burned.
Last week, I was 7,000 calories under maintenance for the week. I eat 1200 calories a day and end up burning about 2100-2300 calories a day. When I weighed in, no weight loss! I have been at this plateau for about a month. I have switched up my workouts and been especially mindful of my eating.
Any advice?
Last week, I was 7,000 calories under maintenance for the week. I eat 1200 calories a day and end up burning about 2100-2300 calories a day. When I weighed in, no weight loss! I have been at this plateau for about a month. I have switched up my workouts and been especially mindful of my eating.
Any advice?
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Replies
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Hmm, it could be water retention perhaps? What kind of workouts are you doing, cardio or strength? I think lifting would help to tone and to gradually burn off those last 5 pounds. It's notoriously hard to lose those last few pounds for most people. Keep at it for a while and see what happens.0
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Tighten up your logging, that's probably it.4
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How's your logging? I found that I learned a lot about my eating habits when I started weighing my food... mainly that I was really bad at estimating, and that things like measuring cups were badly inaccurate, pre-packaged food almost always weighs more than it says it will, and I could easily kill my deficit with even a small series of inaccurate measures.
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Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.2
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85Cardinals wrote: »Tighten up your logging, that's probably it.
Can't imagine how I can... I'm weighing literally everything!0 -
RoseTheWarrior wrote: »Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.
I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.0 -
I suggest additional rest days. Like two on one off. Perhaps you're overtraining and that's leading to water retention?0
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Have you done any research on body recomposition? With such a small amount to lose maybe take focusing off the number.2
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You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.
That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.
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You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.
That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.
Maybe she meant those numbers were her TOTAL daily calorie burn.. I hope so anyway.0 -
Because people who say that have no clue what they are talking about, they think they do but they dont. Add in a protein shake or two a day to move some of your macros around and your will lose they weight.2
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Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.6
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gataman3000 wrote: »Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.
What the what what!!?? I managed to maintain a slim figure for the first 40 years of my life. It's only been in the last few years that I started to get a tad podgy.
That was a very rude, inaccurate and presumptuous thing to say.
What's your advice for the OP??? Other than a generic protein shake or two a day... Macros have no bearing on weight loss by the way. It all comes down to calories in/calories out.39 -
If it's not being rude, it may be helpful to post your weight and height. It may be that your goal is impossible because you are malnourished to the point of near death. Not likely, but it is a possibility. So I see three possibilities - you are counting your calories incorrectly - there are a lot of incorrect, undercounted items in the database, OR you are overestimating your energy out OR you have broken the laws of thermodynamics and physics. Have you stopped for maintenance for a period of at least one month at any point in your journey? That can help as well.8
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gataman3000 wrote: »Because people who say that have no clue what they are talking about, they think they do but they dont. Add in a protein shake or two a day to move some of your macros around and your will lose they weight.
Nogataman3000 wrote: »Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.
And no. Speak for yourself mate.9 -
gataman3000 wrote: »Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.
Yes because if I want to LOSE weight the logical person to ask for advice is someone who has never lost a pound. I used to practice muay Thai kick boxing, I had 10% body fat and trained for hours a day, until I was injured in the ring. So yeah, not been fat my whole life. Have for many years, but not for the first 18. But hey opinions are like *kitten*, everybody has one, and some people are one.18 -
If you have been in a deficit for more than four weeks and are not in the obese or overweight category, you may be experiencing some hormonal and signalling slowdown. Try a planned refeed day where you eat 200-500 calories above maintenance. Then return to your eating plan and see if the weight shifts over the following two weeks.
Also if by the last few pounds you mean you are nearing your ideal weight, please be sure to take measurements using a tape measure, pictures, callipers, and/or clothes. The scale is not as reliable or reflective of real body composition at that stage. And unless you are in a sport and need to make weight, I would give it less importance than the tape measure.
I hope this helps.8 -
Also if by the last few pounds you mean you are nearing your ideal weight, please be sure to take measurements using a tape measure, pictures, callipers, and/or clothes. The scale is not as reliable or reflective of real body composition at that stage. And unless you are in a sport and need to make weight, I would give it less importance than the tape measure.
^^^ This.
If you are relatively light then your scale weight is going to be particularly vulnerable to bouncing all over the place due to fluid retention and so on. You may well still be losing fat which is masked on the scale.
Ensure that the accuracy of your logging stays high and you are not over accounting for calories burned due to exercise and stay patient.
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GuitarJerry wrote: »Because fit bits are inaccurate. That's why. Total pieces of crap. I gained weight using mine. They don't work.
LOL at this blanket statement.
Fitbits have flaws for people like any other fitness tracker, but my Fitbit Charge HR works perfectly fine and I haven't gained a pound while using it. I've consistently lost weight and even gained less weight using its numbers than I thought I would when I was bulking.
My experience varies from yours as well as the next person's. Some people like their experience with using a Fitbit while others don't. Whether it was because of inaccurate food logging, incorrect burns, or a combination of the two, it didn't work for you. It doesn't mean Fitbits don't work and are pieces of crap. If your experience was the norm, they'd be out of business.24 -
The first places to look for clues would be your food and exercise diaries but they are private - so consider opening them?
A month isn't a long time though - weighing daily or weekly? If weekly just one day's fluctuation on weighing in day can mask a trend.0 -
You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.
That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.
Those # seem so wrong0 -
Her TDEE is 2200. Nothing wrong.AndrewMartin3 wrote: »You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.
That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.
Those # seem so wrong
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People saying to eat more to loose weight is ridiculous. I am a short person and to loose ounces a week 1200 calories is what MFP gives me bare minimum, so I cannot knock down the issue that 1200 calories is too little and will not be advising that here.
edited to add: 2 pounds a week weight loss at 1200 calories is too aggressive, as it is hard for me to loose that much (actually I can't) and if you are able to essentially loose 2 pounds a week at this calorie intake, then perhaps your calories out is way over estimated and you should consider recalculating calories perhaps more towards maintenance, this will help you when you get to maintenance.
However, stalls or plateau, or it is just a bit harder to loose those last 5 - 10 pounds especially if you are already some what leaner now.
I would look at how you are coming up with your 7000 calorie deficit.
Your diaries are closed so we can't really give too much more advice other than what the flow chart below says.
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gebeziseva wrote: »
Her TDEE is 2200. Nothing wrong.AndrewMartin3 wrote: »You're eating 1200 calories a day, but exercising 2200-2300? I really hope those numbers are incorrect. You're not giving your body enough fuel and nutrients and in the long run, doing yourself more harm than good. If you do that daily, you'll lose lean body mass--not the weight you want to see come off.
That being said, if those numbers were happening you would be losing weight. I just want to address the idea of being in the red by the end of the day--it's not healthy.
Those # seem so wrong
Yeah, that's how I read it.
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gataman3000 wrote: »Because people who say that have no clue what they are talking about, they think they do but they dont. Add in a protein shake or two a day to move some of your macros around and your will lose they weight.
A lot of people here were extremely successful at taking and keeping their weight off. Those are the folks who know exactly what they're talking about. Because of them, I was successful.16 -
misschellechelle wrote: »....end up burning about 2100-2300 calories a day.misschellechelle wrote: »I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.
So I'm assuming that you mean that your TDEE is around 2200Cals, which isn't unrealistic.
Notwithstanding that I'd ask how your estimating your exercise calorie expenditure?
I'd agree with the points above about a month not being long, particularly when your loss target is quite small, but if you are logging your intake as religiously as you're suggesting, then look to your output for error.
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Can you open up your diary?0
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misschellechelle wrote: »RoseTheWarrior wrote: »Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.
I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.
The calorie expenditure of weight lifting and circuit training is very low. Wearing a fitbit there doesn't help either. You lift up a weight, your HR goes up, you put the weight down, your heartrate still remains high for a while while you're just sitting around and not doing anything. A high HR doesn't equal energy burn!
And school physics: Work =mass(kg)*height(meters)*9.81ms^2. Say you deadlift 50kg half a meter that will give you 245.25J = 0.06kcal
Of course a bit more goes into the total for lowering the weight to the floor again, and for stabilizing your body during the lift, but really, the energy expenditure for weight lifting is not particularly high.2
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