If calories in vs. calories out is what matters, why no weight loss?

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2456710

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    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.
  • tugsandpulls760
    tugsandpulls760 Posts: 206 Member
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    Psychgrrl 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
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    Psychgrrl 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
    Her TDEE is 2200. Nothing wrong.

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited April 2016
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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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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    gebeziseva wrote: »
    Psychgrrl 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
    Her TDEE is 2200. Nothing wrong.

    Yeah, that's how I read it.

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    ....end up burning about 2100-2300 calories a day.
    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.

  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
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    Can you open up your diary?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,420 Member
    edited April 2016
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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.

    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.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,394 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2016
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    Would you mind opening your diary?


    I would question though, why a person with an active job (and a good amount of exercise), would eat 1200 calories? Also, how long have you been dieting? Sometimes, if its been for an extended period of time, taking a diet break for a few weeks can help (if nothing else, at least mentally) and the transition back with a lower deficit.

    I personally have known and have seen increased weight loss with a more moderate deficit than an aggressive. It's possible that is, because I improved logging and/or my body wasn't retaining as much water weight due to adequate nutrition.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
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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.

    What are you even talking about?
  • luckynky
    luckynky Posts: 123 Member
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    I'm in agreement with poster who said Fitbit is inaccurate. From my research, the consensus is that they overestimate calorie burns. This must be true, because if you were actually consuming less than you're burning, you would, in fact, be losing weight.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited April 2016
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    OP-first if you open your diary we may be able to see something you're missing.

    Also-with so little to lose, the little things can really make a difference. Assuming you are accurately tracking your food intake, then it's got to be something with the exercise part. So many people overestimate what they burn, and can easily cancel out their needed calorie deficit.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,394 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2016
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    luckynky wrote: »
    I'm in agreement with poster who said Fitbit is inaccurate. From my research, the consensus is that they overestimate calorie burns. This must be true, because if you were actually consuming less than you're burning, you would, in fact, be losing weight.

    Over short periods of time, especially with strenuous workouts, and in very light people, water weight can mask fat loss. It's been 4 weeks and it's quite possible for water weight is superseding fat loss.. And being a women makes it even harder due to monthly cycles.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Perhaps your weight goal is too low for your body type. As an active person who works out, it's important to take into consideration your muscle tone, mass, and bone density. The weight tables for women don't take these into consideration. They are old and based on women being weak and small boned.

    If your weight goal is spot on and you can't get past the hump, eat at, or even up to 200 calories over maintenance while keeping an eye on the scale for any possible weight gain. After about 3-4 days, the last few pounds sometimes magically fall off. I can't explain this and won't argue it, but it has gotten me past a few plateaus. If this doesn't work for you the most you will have gained is 600-800 extra calories for the week (which isn't even enough to put on 1/4 lb).
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Are you weighing and logging everything? I really do mean weighing everything.

    I took thought I was in a deficit and wondered why I couldn't lose weight despite having a 500 cal deficit from my Fitbit every day. Turns out the pre-packaged pizza I've been eating is much, much bigger than what it says on the packaged by a couple hundred calories.